Looking For Tomorrow
by polgara-5
Summary: COMPLETE BuffyXMen One is trying to forget their past, the other is searching for theirs. Together, they may be able to face the future.
1. One

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Looking For Tomorrow

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or X-Men. I do not plan to make any money from this little story.

Spoilers: For Buffy through the end of season seven, although I changed it slightly. Let's just say that Buffy never went back to the house after she gained the scythe, the rest gets explained in the story. For X-Men the spoilers go through the first movie. Everything I know comes from the movie and what I've picked up from fanfiction.

Rated: PG-13 (for the moment, it may change)

I know that the last thing I needed to do was start another story, but this one popped in my head and wouldn't leave. 

This chapter is essentially from Buffy's point of view.

Chapter One

Gone. They had been gone exactly one year today. And all Buffy wanted to do was drink herself into oblivion so she could forget. The final battle against the first had been brutal. She had been the only one to survive.

The bringers had gotten to every potential, so when Caleb had killed Faith, there had been no one to take her place. Caleb had also killed Giles, who had placed himself between them in an effort to protect the renegade slayer. Buffy inwardly winced as she remembered the look on her mentor's face as his neck was broken.

Turok-Hans stepped out of the shadows and attacked Dawn, Xander, and Anya from behind. They never stood a chance against them. And Andrew, bless his heart, fought vainly to help them, but he too fell.

That left Willow. Poor, scared Willow. Who wanted so desperately to use her magic to attack, but was afraid to loose herself in it. Her hesitation was her downfall. The bringers took advantage of her momentary pause and rushed at her. There had been too many and she fell beneath them.

This was the scene that Buffy and Spike entered into when they arrived in the basement of the school. Everything seemed to happen at once and they could only stand there in mute horror.

For the first time since she had realized they were going against the first, she was afraid. It's true that she had felt fear before, the first time she had died, fighting Angelus, and Dawn tied to the top of the tower. But nothing compared to this. She began to think that she wouldn't be able to stop the apocalypse this time.

"You can do this. I have faith in you. You can grieve for them later, but now you need to fight."

Hearing Spike's voice in her ear pulled her out of her fear. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she gripped the scythe in her hands. She turned to Spike and said, "ready to dance?"

"Always slayer, always."

The two quickly worked their way towards Caleb, killing anything that moved. They made short work of most of their opponents and soon it was just Buffy, Caleb, Spike and a handful of bringers.

"Take care of priest boy and I'll do the rest," Spike called out as he neatly beheaded a bringer.

The slayer turned to the first's chosen one. He had a wicked smile on his face as he raised the sword in his hand.

"You ready to die bitch?"

"Only if you are," she retorted as she swung the scythe. 

The only sound she could hear was the scythe, the weapon literally sang in the air. She pulled out every move she knew, but he blocked every one. Then suddenly she slipped, and found herself on her knees.

Caleb moved in for the kill. "Say nightie-night." And he swung the killing blow.

Buffy braced herself for it, but found herself being knocked down. She opened her eyes to see Spike on top of her with Caleb's sword stuck in his side. She looked up into his clear blue eyes and saw surprise in them.

"Remember that I love you," he whispered, and then he turned to dust.

She looked up to see Caleb standing above her holding a stake. The slayer suddenly saw red, and she felt a renewed strength seep through her body, as if Spike had transferred all of his power to her.

The slayer knocked the sword to the other side of the room then swept Caleb's legs out from under him. She took advantage of his momentary incapacitation to grab her scythe and stand. She began to fight him with a fury she never knew she possessed. She had once told Kendra that her anger gave her fire, and she was using it now.

The entire fight for Buffy was a blur then and now. She just went on the offensive and then came to when Caleb was left there in pieces. She then walked over and dropped to her knees in the place where Spike had died.

Buffy didn't know how long she had sat there in Spike's ashes. Minutes, hours, or even days. She was having a hard time believing that he was really gone. He had been the only one to refuse to leave her, no matter how hard she had pushed him away.

But now he was gone. Forever.

The tears had finally ended and all that was left was a gaping hole in her heart, where her friends and family had been. She was trying to decide what to do when a familiar figure squatted in front of her.

"Go away, Whistler."

"I'm afraid I can't."

"Fine. Then I'll leave." Despite the threat, she couldn't seem to pull herself away from the carnage around her.

"I'm afraid I have bad news."

"When do you have anything but?" She asked quietly.

"You're it. You and Angel. The last two champions."

"Well good for us," she said dully.

"Without another slayer to follow you, you have to finish it."

"I thought I already did," she said, gesturing to Caleb who laid several feet from her. "He had merged with the first. I killed him. Bye-bye evil."  
"But the demons remain, Buffy." Whistler said gently.

"I can't, I'll die eventually."

There was a moment of silence before he said, "No. No you won't."

Buffy looked up sharply at him, "What do you mean?"

"The spell that brought you back had some side effects. You can no longer die."

"A cellular tan my ass," she muttered.

"It also allowed the first to make its move. The Powers said that when the last demon dies you will finally be able to age and die."

"What if I refuse to play this game anymore?"

"Then you'll live forever and watch the world become overrun with demons. Only when this world ceases to exist will you die."

"Way to sugar coat it," she said sarcastically.

"Honesty is the best policy. The good news is that the hellmouth and the seal are permanently closed. You won't have to stay here."

Buffy sighed.

And so she had spent the past year wandering. For the first month, she stayed with Angel and his group. But since he seemed to have L.A. under control, she had left.

That's how she had ended up in this seedy bar in a small town in Canada. She had walked in and gone straight to the bar, paying little heed to her surroundings. She ordered two beers. She quickly downed the first, and started on the second one at only a slightly more leisurely pace.

She turned around and leaned her back against the bar. It was then that she noticed the large cage in the center of the room and people seating themselves on the stands surrounding it. She finished the second beer and turned back to face the bartender.

After the third beer had been placed in front of her, Buffy asked, "What's with the cage?"

The man behind the counter shrugged, "Entertainment. Guys fight for money."

"What guys?"

"Locals, truck drivers, whoever shows up from night to night." He then turned his attention to another customer.

As Buffy began looking at the patrons of the bar, she realized that she was surrounded by rednecks, complete with flannel, big belt buckles, and boots. She was thankful she had dressed simply that evening in jeans and a baby-tee.

While she was scanning the crowd, she felt a strange pull on her senses. She looked to the door in time to see a strange looking man enter. He was tall with wild hair and a cigar in his mouth. He was simply dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans with an old leather jacket. She got the distinct feeling that he wasn't a local.

She stretched her senses to see if he was a vampire, but he didn't feel like one. Still, he didn't feel like everyone else in the place. She began to wonder if he was a type of demon that could disguise himself like Anya used to.

Buffy flinched at the thought of her friend. She finished the beer in her hand and asked for another.

"Might want to slow down missy. That's three in fifteen minutes."

"Trust me, I can hold it. Just give me another." And it was true. Over the past year she had noticed that she healed even faster than before. While she used to get drunk quite easily, her healing powers now seemed to keep her fairly sober. Which was a real pain in the ass when she wanted to stupefy herself.

She turned back around and watched the strange man walk up to the cage and say something to the man at the door. After a quick conversation, he headed to the door beside the bar, and went inside.

As she mused over who he could be, she noticed the patrons were starting to get restless around the cage. Then the man came back through the doors sans coat. Buffy watched as he easily made his way through the crowd and into the cage.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The return of last night's champion. The Wolverine!" The announcement was met with a mix of cheers and jeers from the crowd.

Buffy couldn't help but notice the way his eyes warily scanned the crowd. They stopped briefly on her, before continuing on. She coolly watched the first challenger step into the cage.

She unconsciously leaned forward as the challenger threw a punch that knocked Wolverine over. As the challenger began a quick kick to the stomach, Wolverine grabbed the ankle at the last second and twisted it. The challenger hit the mat and couldn't get back up.

As the night wore on, challenger after challenger fell. Buffy found herself intrigued by the man fighting. Something inside her said that the man was holding back, that he was afraid of truly hurting those he was fighting. It made her wonder why he was even doing it.

Guiltily she noticed how his clothes clung nicely to his well-muscled body. She felt stirrings inside her that she hadn't felt since before Spike had died. Tears welled up momentarily at the thought of him, but she suppressed them. She felt intense guilt for even looking at another man.

She had to stifle a groan when Wolverine took off his shirt. She could now see the muscles ripple under his skin. The blond couldn't believe that she was finding another man so attractive this quickly after Spike. True he had been dead for a year, but she felt as if she was betraying his memory.

To stop torturing herself, she turned away from the fight and back to the bar. Now more than ever, she wanted to forget the past. Deciding the beer wasn't going to be strong enough, she moved on to something more potent. The bartender gave her glass after glass of the strongest thing he had, Turkey 101.

The rest of the night passed quickly as she finally succeeded in achieving at least a light state of drunkenness. She was finally starting to understand why Spike went through so many bottles of liquor to wallow in his misery. The bartender kept shaking his head in amazement every time she ordered another.

The place had mostly cleared out, when Wolverine sat down a couple of stools away from her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw two vampires she was going to have to take care of shortly.

She sighed softly and ordered one last beer. She slowly nursed it as she felt her body sober up.

"You need me to call a cab for you missy?" The bartender asked.

"Nah, I'm good."

"You sure? You drank enough to sink a fleet of battleships."  
"I'm fine. Besides I walked here from the motel down the road."

He just shook his head, and went back to cleaning glasses. She could feel Wolverine's eyes on her, but she refused to look at him.

Finally Buffy couldn't take it any longer. "You gonna say anything, or just stare?" She asked, keeping her gaze firmly forward.

If he was surprised by the bluntness of the question, he didn't show it. "Not from around here, are you?"

She let out an indelicate snort. "What gave it away? My fashion sense?"

She heard a low rumble from him, in what she assumed to be laughter. "Maybe."

The two vampires she had been keeping an eye on were ostensibly helping a passed out friend home. She quickly finished her beer and left a nice tip for the bartender. "As much fun as this conversation is, duty calls." She said quickly, then followed the vampires out the door.

The blond rolled her eyes as she saw them lean in for a bite. The idiots didn't even have enough sense to find an alley to kill their prey. No, out in the open where everyone could see them.

"Ahh, how sweet. You finally learned to share."  
The smaller one looked up in surprise, demon visage still forward. "Huh?"

Great, even bigger idiots then she had previously thought. Oh well, she really wasn't in the mood for witty repartee.

"You might want to leave dinner alone, and concentrate on me."

"Why?" Asked the other one. "Who do you think you are? The slayer?"

"The one and only."

The little one rushed forward and quickly found himself face down on the ground.

The bigger one snarled and dropped their meal. "Die slayer." He swung and Buffy ducked. 

"Been there," she answered as she punched him in the face. "Done that," as she kicked him in the stomach, then staked the one who tried to sneak up behind her. "Wish I could," she whispered as she drove the stake through his back into his heart.

As the dust settled she knelt to check the man laying on the ground. They hadn't gotten a bite yet, so he was merely passed out. She was starting to stand to go back into the bar and get the bartender's help when she heard a voice behind her.

"Quite a show. Do all your opponents turn to dust?" Wolverine asked.

"Usually," she said warily. "Think you can help this guy home?"

"Yeah. How long have you been fighting?"

"Too long," the blond said wearily. "But I could give you a run for your money."  
"Why didn't you?"

"Wasn't my goal this evening," she replied as she turned away and started down the street. "Maybe tomorrow."

"What's your name?" He called out.

The answer came back on the breeze, "The slayer."


	2. Two

Another chapter is here for you guys. I probably won't get another chapter up until next Sunday. Why? You may ask. It's because I'm also writing another story and I'm farther along with it and I've actually got a structured plot outline for it. I'm just kind of flying by the seat of my pants with this one. I've got some definite things I want to happen, other than that there is no continuous plot line in this one. Which if anyone knows of any good X-Men websites where I can learn about the villains, I would love to hear about it. The only websites I've found tell about the heroes.

As for reviews. Oh My God! I am so flattered! I have never received this many reviews for a chapter before. I'm a little flustered. Those of you who are familiar with my writing style know that this is usually where I answer each review, but since there are so many of you, I don't want to take up too much space doing that. So I'm only going to answer specific questions.

First, to answer all who have asked. YES, this is a Buffy/Logan story. But don't expect them to get together anytime soon. I have a habit of torturing my characters.

The Creationist, yes I did start this about a week before the finale aired. Still can't believe they killed my baby.

X-Lander I'm glad you think they'll make a good couple. I've always thought so. But there's a serious lack of Buffy/Logan stories out there so I decided to write one of my own.

Angellus Lee I'm so glad you commented on her sarcastic comments. I just don't think of myself as a funny person and so it's hard to write humor sometimes. Thanks!

Rosie, very little of the second movie will show up. Mainly just a pairing and an extra character. Don't get me wrong, loved the movie (although Hugh Jackman just wasn't naked enough for me). But it's not going to fit in with my little story. And yes, Rogue will be in the story eventually.

Doukeshi03, atmospheric huh? Cool. I'm glad you liked it.

erro, have no fear, I will finish this. It may take sometime, but it will get done. Trust me. I hate it when people drop off and don't finish a good story.

T.C., I know you liked this fic. How could I not when you threw this half finished chapter back and ordered me to finish. Hee hee.

Plato, I'm just tickled to death that you read my chapter. I hope mine turns out as well as yours did. (Still waiting for the sequel)

Lora Darcy I'm glad you liked the changing of the finale. I had to kill everyone off. I'm currently writing a Buffy/HP crossover with everybody and it's like a cast of a thousand. I had to cut myself a break and lose some people. Plus, it gave her an excuse to leave Sunnydale alone.

Once again, a huge thank you and Whoo Hoo to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it.

Plus, I need to mention my beta for this and the last chapter. I forgot to mention her last time. T.C. Vincent, she's fabulous. (And I'm not just saying that because she is my sister!)

One other thing. I hope this chapter isn't confusing. It picks up directly after last chapter, then goes into the past. This is Logan's side of their meeting, but also tells how he got there.

Chapter Two

"The slayer," she called back.

The slayer of what, he wondered. Whatever those two things she had fought were, they weren't normal. That was the only thing he knew for sure. That and there was something about her that drew him like a moth to the flame.

Despite the fact that he had borrowed one-eye's super bike, he had taken his time to get to Alkali Lake. He had spent the past month thinking over the events that had happened at the school.

Logan was having a hard time believing that Rogue had worked her way into his heart so quickly. Maybe it was because she looked as lost as he felt. He just knew that he would return to the girl who he loved like a sister, no matter what he found.

He doubted that she even knew that he carried a communicator with him and talked to the Professor once a week. He just wanted to make sure that she was happy. He had made a promise to her to take care of her, and he intended to keep it.

The time on the road had also given him time to think about Jean. Logan finally admitted to himself that while he did find her attractive, he hit on her mainly just to piss Scott off. The kid definitely needed to relax.

By the time he had reached this small town in Canada, his funds had begun to run short. He had easily found the bar that sported cage fights the night before and had set off to earn some money.

He hadn't won as much as he had hoped and so he had returned for another night. The moment he had walked in he could sense that there was something different about the place. As he walked by the bar to deposit his coat in the back room, the sense grew stronger.

It wasn't until he was in the cage and scanning the crowd that he discovered the source. His eyes rested on a tiny blond drinking a beer at the bar. There was just something that made her stand out from the crowd. He quickly continued his scan when he realized that she knew he was looking at her.

Logan could feel her eyes watching him fight, as if she was trying to figure him out. That is, until he took his shirt off because he had gotten hot. He felt her eyes bore into him for a minute, then suddenly they were gone. He looked to see her turn away from him.

She kept her attention firmly on the counter behind the bar for the rest of the night. She didn't even acknowledge his presence when he sat down for a beer before calling it a night.

He took the opportunity to study her. She was obviously from out of town. She had an air about her that said she had seen and done more in her short life than anyone in that town could even think about experiencing.

It was her scent that really got him though. She smelled of vanilla and femininity but had an undercurrent of controlled power. It was like nothing he had ever experienced, at least to his knowledge. He wondered briefly if she was mutant, but dismissed it since he had never been able to sense on like that before.

When she had left after their too brief conversation, he turned to the bartender. "So how much did she drink?" He asked curiously.

The bartender just shook his head in amazement. "Nearly three bottles of Turkey 101 and at least thirty bottles of beer."  
Logan raised an eyebrow in disbelief. A girl her size shouldn't be breathing, let alone walking straight and sober. He quickly paid for his beer and went out the door to make sure she made it to her motel safely.

He turned to the sound of her voice when he heard her say, "The one and only." It was then that he noticed that her scent had altered slightly. The undercurrent of power had grown, but it was still controlled.

The shorter guy she was talking to told her die, and Logan nearly attacked until he saw her move with the ease of a seasoned warrior. She neatly avoided him and took his partner down a notch.

But he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw them turn to dust. While he had seen his share of strange and unusual things, this had topped the chart. Whatever had happened wasn't natural.

She brusquely answered his questions and walked away with the hint of a challenge for the next evening.

It was enough of a hint that he found himself returning for a third night of fighting, something he rarely did. He had learned early on that he attracted too much attention if he won more than two nights. He much preferred fighting for money, rather than his life.

Logan had been fighting for over an hour and still hadn't sensed her. He was beginning to think that she wasn't coming, which actually disappointed him. It had been a long time since he actually got to fight someone talented and what little he had seen the night before told him she might be.

He was about to throw the match and leave when he felt her enter. He turned to see her walk to the bar and then felt his current challenger kick him in the stomach. He returned his attention to the fight at hand. Deciding he was ready to move on, Logan placed a calculated punch on his opponent's jaw, knocking him out.

As the guy hit the floor, he turned his eyes back to the bar. The blond met his gaze unflinchingly. He swore there was a small smirk on her face as she made her way to the cage.

He coolly watched her talk to the announcer. She argued with him briefly. Logan guessed they were arguing over the fact that she was a girl. Apparently she won as they both entered the cage.

A hush fell over the crowd as the announcer declared her the next challenger. The same thought flowed through their minds, how could a tiny wisp of a girl even think she could defeat such a large man.

The blond boldly walked up to him and spoke in a voice so quiet that only he could hear with his sensitive hearing. "I won't hold back if you don't. I'm in the mood to dance."

Logan raised an eyebrow in surprise. Very few people viewed fighting as dancing, usually only those whose lives centered around it considered it so.

Still, he didn't want to hurt the beauty in front of him by letting it all out. While he had seen enough the night before to know she could fight, he doubted she'd be able to handle the full impact from his adamantium lined skeleton.

He decided to sound like he humored her, "Whatever you say darlin'."

She showed her disbelief in her eyes, but didn't say anything. She took a couple of steps back and closed her eyes to center herself.

When she opened her eyes, Logan nearly took a step back. Gone was the sweet looking woman. In its place was a predator.

Logan decided to make the first move and he threw a punch at about one-quarter of his full strength. The blond blocked it easily and shot him a withering look.

He barely had time to register the fact that her scent changed before he felt the palm of her hand slam into his chest. He flew until his back hit the side of the cage and he slid to the floor. He was suddenly thankful for the metal that lined his skeleton, for without it she would have crushed his sternum.

Taking a deep breath, he was awestruck by the amount of power radiating from the tiny figure in front of him. Realizing that she could probably take anything he threw at her, he decided to give her, and himself, the fight they had been looking for.

As she threw a punch, he met her fist head on with his own. They met with a crunch and Logan could feel the impact all the way up his arm.

The blond didn't even flinch, but a feral smile appeared on her face. "Finally decided to play huh?"

While he had been merely intrigued by her before, he was now mesmerized. He definitely needed to learn more about her.

She did a back flip and kicked him solidly in the chin. The blond had no sooner landed on her feet when he landed a kick in her stomach.

The crowd could only watch in stunned silence as the two traded blows and kicks that could have maimed most normal people. After the first couple of minutes they shoved their disbelief aside and began cheering them on.

Back and forth they went, neither one really getting the upper hand. Before long, true smiles appeared on both of their faces. Logan would have taken the time to drink in the change on her features, but he was too busy enjoying himself.

"You're not too bad. For a girl."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," she replied, before vaulting over his head and landing a kick into the small of his back.

They fought for nearly an hour, and then Logan noticed a change in her eyes. He saw boredom, and it was all the warning he received. She attacked so quickly that he never had a chance to defend himself.

He found himself suddenly pinned to the floor with her hand wrapped firmly around his throat.

"You have a choice, Wolvie," she whispered in his ear. "I can cut off your air supply and knock you out, or I can call the ref guy over and you can call uncle."

Logan tried to decide which was the worse of the two. Either way, if one-eye ever found out he wouldn't let him live down the fact that he got his ass kicked by a girl. Deciding she couldn't disappear on him if he was awake he indicated the latter option.

She called the ref over and she was quickly declared the winner. She stood and held out her hand to help him off the floor.

The crowd began to disperse and he turned to the slayer and asked, "Buy you a beer?"

"Sure, why not?"

They easily made their way over to the bar and sat down. They sat in silence until the bartender brought them their drinks.

He noticed her scent had changed again. The power he smelled on her had dropped back to an undercurrent. It was a phenomenon that he had never experienced before. While he could always smell someone's fear and other powerful emotions, their base scent never changed. But her, it was almost as if there were two separate people in the same body.

"You're staring again."

"Sorry. It's just...Who are you?"

"Told you, the slayer."

"The slayer of what?"

She looked closely at him. "You mean you don't know?"

Logan looked at her in confusion. "No, I don't. Otherwise I wouldn't have asked. The slayer of what?"

"Nothing," she whispered as she turned and faced forward.

He sat there in silence for a moment before asking, "Mutants?"

It was her turn to look at him in confusion, "Huh?"

"Mutants. Do you slay mutants?"  
"Again with the huh?"

"You don't know about mutants?"

"No. Why?"

"Never mind," he muttered.

"So, what do you do?"

"Not much. I wander a bit. You?"

"I wander a bit."

He chuckled softly. "Where you off to next?"

She just shrugged her shoulders. "Wherever I hitch a ride to."  
"You don't drive?"  
"No," she said emphatically. "Me and cars don't mix."

He studied her thoughtfully for a moment. Even though he had just met her, he somehow knew he needed her in his life. "You could travel with me," he suggested softly.

She jerked in surprise. "I'm not sure that would be such a great idea."

"Why? Afraid I might hurt ya?"  
"Obviously no, it's just," she paused for a moment. "It's complicated."  
"Come on. It would be nice to have some company for once." He didn't know why he so desperately wanted her to intrude on his solitary lifestyle.

She seemed to consider it for several long moments, and then her eyes softened just slightly. "Sure."

He couldn't stop the smile that graced his face. "My name is Logan," he said as he extended his hand.

"Buffy," she said as she shook it.

"You're joking?"

"'Fraid not."


	3. Three

Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you guys know that the next chapter should be up next Sunday.

Catlimere, manticore-gurl1071134, Kida, Plato, cricket, jade, thank you guys so much for your reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying my story.

fyrechild, don't forget that they did fight for nearly an hour, so she didn't take him down too easily. Thanks for the review!

Claddagh, no, Buffy and Scott are not going to be related. I've read a lot of fics with that in it and wanted to do something a little different. He will show up though, but not until at least chapter five.

Christina, I'm glad you like my pace. I like for my stories to take time so the progression seems natural and not rushed. Like you I have read fics that move so quickly that you have no time to breath and I feel a little cheated when that happens.

Sayra Louise, I hope I convince you enough to buy my story! Thanks for the review!

MX, if you noticed on the first chapter I said I know next to nothing about the comic. I felt I would be cheating the readers if I tried to write what I don't know. The movie gives me a lot of flexibility. As for writing an alternate version I will think about it. I just found out that my brother-in-law actually owns a lot of the comics so I'm going to try and read and maybe write an alternate version. We'll see. Of course, if you'd be willing to help I'd consider that option too. Thanks for your review!

Lisette, thank you so much for the compliment, I'm flattered. I hope you do stick around for the entire story. I must warn you, though, I have a feeling that this will be a fairly long one.

I must say, I am so flattered to receive so many reviews. I usually hate when writers say this, but really getting a lot of reviews really makes you want to write faster. I am not saying you have to review (cause I hate it when they say that too), but I just want you guys to know how much I appreciate each and every review.

I'll shut up now and let you read.....

Chapter Three

They had arranged to meet the next morning outside of the little motel Buffy had been staying at. She quietly sipped her coffee as she checked out and carried her bag outside. 

She couldn't believe she had let him talk her into this. She should have just told him no and walked away, but she was lonely. She used to be surrounded by friends who loved and supported her. But she had gotten them killed because she wasn't a good leader.

If she had only been better, maybe they would have trusted her more and wouldn't have kicked her out of her own home. If she had kept them together, maybe they would still be alive.

Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea for her to travel with him. She would probably just lead him to his death. She seemed to have that effect on people.

"Not rethinking this are you?" Came a gruff voice from behind her.

"Maybe," she said softly.

"You shouldn't. You look like you need the company."

"And you?"

Logan got quiet for a moment and looked off in the distance. Until he had met Rogue, he thought he didn't need anybody. But suddenly, he had an urge to start letting some people in. Just knowing that there was someone out there who cared for you made things just a little easier. "Maybe I need some company, too."

"Fine. Where should I put my bag?"

He indicated the back of the bike where there were straps to tie it down with. He reached out to take the bag from her but she stopped him.

"I got it."

"Just trying to help."

"I know, it's just...I have this thing about people touching my stuff," Buffy explained quickly. She didn't want to have to explain why it was so heavy. Plus, the scythe was in there with all her weapons and she really didn't want some man she barely knew to touch it.

"Whatever. You travel awful light for a girl," he said, as she finished strapping it onto the bike.

"Don't need much," she said simply.

Logan just shrugged and got on the bike. He waited until she climbed on behind him before starting it. He nearly groaned when she wrapped her arms around his waist.

His mind instantly began wandering to other places she could place her hands. She was very beautiful and powerful. But for once he wanted to get to know her before he started anything with her.

Buffy was thankful when he finally pulled out of the parking lot and started to head down the road. She could feel his taunt muscles underneath his shirt. She began cursing herself for wondering what it would feel like without the article of clothing in the way. She didn't want to find this man attractive because she would either get him killed or push him away somehow, like she had with all the others; not to mention that she was still clinging to Spike's memory.

The blond forced her thoughts to remain neutral as they headed out of town and further into the wilds of Canada.

About mid-afternoon Logan pulled into a small motel that had an even smaller diner connected to it. They quickly checked into their rooms and met back up in the diner.

They sat in silence after they ordered, until their food arrived. Buffy just stared in amazement at the amount of food that was placed in front of her traveling companion.

"What?"

"Are you really going to eat all of that?" She asked, gesturing to the six plates sitting in front of him.

"Yeah."

"That stuff will clog your arteries."

Logan just grunted. "It's better than that rabbit food you're eating," he said, pointing his fork at her salad.

"I have to watch my figure."

"You need to put more meat on your bones; you're too skinny."  
"I'll have you know..."

"What? That you don't eat enough?" He shoved his plate of eggs and sausage in front of her. "Eat."

"No!"

"Yes. I don't need you falling off the bike in a faint 'cause ya didn't eat enough."

"Just because I agreed to travel with you for a while doesn't give you the right to boss me around."

"Eat."

"But..."

As she opened her mouth, he shoved a piece of toast into it. She just glared at him as she chewed and swallowed.

"Listen here...."

And he did it again.

"Wolvie..."

This time it was a bite of sausage. Instead of retaliating, she sat there with her mouth shut and glared at him.

Logan couldn't stop the smirk that appeared on his lips when she reluctantly began eating the eggs he had given her.

"So, where you from?" He asked, after he was sure that she was going to continue to eat.

"California. A little town called Sunnydale."  
"Never heard of it."

"Hence the 'little town'. It's a couple hours away from L.A."  
"Why'd you leave?"

Her eyes grew distant as she said, "There wasn't anything there for me."

"But there is in Canada?"

She shook herself out of wherever she had gone. "Let's just say I'm passing some time until I decide to finish up some business."

"In Canada?"

"Just as good as any place else. So where are you from?"

"Canada." He paused for a moment before softly saying, "I think."

"You think? Don't you know where you're from?"

"Let's just say, for as long as I can remember I have lived in Canada."

Buffy just gave him a skeptical look, but didn't say anything. She just continued to eat the food in front of her. She couldn't believe how hungry she was.

As she finished up, Logan shoved another plate in front of her. "Eat."

"I can't eat all of your food."

"I'll order more. Eat."

Sighing, she began eating the fries.

An hour later, Buffy was surprised to find her stomach truly full for the first time in a long time. She mentally noted that she should patrol that night to try and work off some of the food she had eaten. She didn't sense any demons in the tiny little town, but it still wouldn't hurt.

"Where are you going?" She asked Logan as he rose from the booth.

"Gonna pay the bill."  
"Let me give you some money."

"I got it."

"But we ate so much. It wouldn't be fair to let you pay for all of it."

"Take it easy, darlin'. You can get the next meal." Without waiting for a response, he headed to the cashier and paid the sizeable bill.

Buffy couldn't help but stare at him in bewilderment. She had firmly decided that he wasn't a demon. Her first clue was that he had never heard of the slayer; while damn near every demon had at least heard of the legend if not believed in it. Then there was the fact that the more she was around him, her senses registered him as human.

However, he couldn't be normal. While it was true that she held back slightly in their little dance the night before, she had used a good deal of her slayer strength and speed. But here he was, without a bruise to show for it. Plus, punching him felt like hitting solid steel.

She had a feeling it had something to do with that mutant thing he mentioned, whatever that was. She just didn't know how to ask him about it without making it obvious.

Logan could feel her eyes on him while he paid the bill. It amazed him that someone as tiny as she was could have such power if she never ate. He was almost always hungry.

Which brought his thoughts back to wondering exactly who was she? He didn't think she was a mutant on the run, she just didn't carry that aura about her. But something about her past wasn't pretty. She neatly avoided any in depth questions he asked.

He knew he was going to have to tell her something before they got the Alkali Lake. 'Cause she was bound to wonder what they would be doing at an abandoned military base.

*******

The next evening, they pulled into a tiny motel that survived on truckers passing through. According to Logan's calculations, Alkali Lake was only a half-hour away, an hour at most. It was the closest town to his destination, so he figured it would be a good place to stay. Especially since Buffy didn't seem to like an outdoor kind of girl.

Buffy. He still hadn't decided what to tell her. He wasn't sure if he could explain about mutants, that seemed to be more like the professor's job. Plus, he had no idea how she would react to the information.

They walked into the small lobby and requested two rooms.

"I'm sorry, but we only have one available room."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked. "I mean, you could be reading your room list wrong."

"Lady I'm tellin' ya. I've only got a double left."

Buffy turned to see Logan giving her a skeptical look. He didn't look as happy with the idea either, but they needed a place to stay. Not to mention her butt was starting to hurt a little, she didn't think she could handle anymore time on the road today.

"Fine," she said with a groan. "I guess I can share a room with Wolvie here."

She stood in the doorway and stared at their tiny room with dismay. This was definitely one of the smaller rooms that she had stayed in over the past year, and this one even had two beds. It was, however, surprisingly quite clean.

But the thought of spending one night in the same room with the hunk of salty goodness that was Wolverine was playing havoc with her libido. She wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be able to travel with him. To spend all day riding that close to him was causing her mind to come up with all sorts of things to do to him.

"You hungry?"

The blond steered her mind from the direction it was heading and said, "Guess so." She was willing to agree to anything that would get either one of them out of that room.

After dinner, they walked across the road to the bar. They played several rounds of pool before just sitting back and drinking for a couple of hours.

It was late by the time they made it back to their room. Buffy took a quick shower before curling up in her bed with a stuffed pig.

"What is that?" Logan asked, pointing to the stuffed animal in her arms.

"Mr. Gordo."

Logan went to say something, but bit it back. She suddenly seemed vulnerable lying there with her face scrubbed clean, holding a stuffed toy. And, were those kitties he saw on her pajamas? How could someone with her power look so childlike and innocent at times? Shaking his head, he walked into the bathroom.

Buffy was nearly asleep when he came out and pulled back the covers on his bed. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't help but notice the way his damp back glistened slightly in the low light. She closed her eyes tightly until he had turned off the light. She berated herself again for finding him so damn sexy until she thankfully drifted into a dreamless sleep.

She was awoken some time later by the sound of moans and thrashing from the bed next to her. It only took a few moments for her sleep addled mind to realized that Logan was caught in the throws of a nightmare.

Remembering how she sometimes lashed out without thinking when she would be jostled from a nightmare, she chose her actions carefully. She turned on a light so he would be able to see his surroundings when he awoke.

The blond then went to the end of his bed and shook his foot gently. When that didn't work, she shook it harder and said, "Logan. Wake up....You need to wake up. It's just a dream."  
Buffy nearly screamed when he sat up with a roar and three claws extended from each hand. He stared straight at her for a few moments before blinking.

"Oh my god. I didn't hurt you did I? Please tell me I didn't hurt you," he practically begged while the claws slid back into his hands.

All she could do was shake her head no.

Logan dropped his head into his hands. "I knew sharing a room would be bad," he mumbled.

Buffy found her voice and asked, "Why?"

He looked up at her in surprise. "Now that you know that I'm a freak you'll be leaving." For some reason, the thought of her doing that pained him greatly.

She crossed her arms across her chest. "And what makes you think that you know what I'm thinking?"

"Cause it's what everybody thinks when they learn someone's a mutant," he said miserably. He had no idea why he was telling her all of this. The words seemed to leave his mouth without checking in with his brain first.

"Well, I'm not just anybody," she said softly as she sat down on the bed nest to him. She looked him straight in the eye and said, "I'm not sure what this mutant thing is that you keep mentioning. But I do know that you're not a freak, cause believe me I _have_ met some of those."

Logan couldn't help but look at her in wonder. "You really don't know what a mutant is?" At her headshake he asked, "Where have you been over the last several years? We've been all over the news."

"Been a little busy," she said vaguely. "So are you going to tell me what a mutant is?"

"Wish the professor was here, he could explain this a helluva lot better than I could," Logan said thoughtfully. "Some people are born with this gene that causes a mutation of some sort. It usually doesn't become active until you hit puberty."

"And I thought getting acne was bad," Buffy said jokingly. "So what does this mutation do?"

"Depends," Logan said with a shrug." Everybody is different."

"What's yours?"

"I've got heightened senses and fast healing."

"Wondered about that," she said to herself.

"About what?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. "So what kind of heightened senses?"

"I can see farther and hear better than most people. And I can track someone by their scent."  
Buffy groaned and muttered something. He swore he heard her say something about vampires haunting her.

Before he could ask about it, she began talking again. "So those claw thingies that came out of your hand, why do they have metal on them?"

Logan rubbed a hand wearily over his eyes. "Dunno. Someone lined my entire skeleton with it. I don't remember who did it or anything before that."

They sat there in silence for several long minutes while Buffy processed everything he had just told her. At least now she knew why he had no bruises and felt like she was punching steel cause well, she was.

But how awful would that be to not remember anything about your past? While she sometimes wished she could forget, she would never want to loose the memories of her friends. It was all she had left of them.

He carefully studied her; she seemed to be taking all of the news in stride. Taking a deep breath he decided to take a chance. "Tomorrow I plan on going to an abandoned military compound to see if I can dig up any information up there. I understand if you just want to stay and wait here, or just hitch a ride with someone else."

Her eyes softened as she contemplated the choices he gave her. It wasn't as if she had anything else better to do. Besides, he almost seemed as if he needed her, and it had been a long time since she had felt that. A slight smile appeared as she said, "If you don't mind, I'd like to go with you."  
"Really? You don't have to."

"I know, but two pairs of eyes are better than one."


	4. Four

Hi guys. Another chapter is here for you to read. The next one won't be up until next Sunday. I've got a mammoth set to get up in a week for our last show of the summer season so I've got very little free time.

lady sakura, Dynasty244, manticore-gurl1071134, me, JaminJellyBean, fyrechild, Jay, poppie, Allycat23, Angel, Tigerfanfrv, Kayla, X-Lander, Ecco, thank you guys so much for your reviews!

Catlimere, I'm glad you approved of the nightmare handling. Honestly, you would think that Rogue would have been more intelligent. The man has claws for pete's sakes! I hope I make the story suitably long for you!

Plato, yes Buffy will be slaying. Hopefully if everything goes well, in the next chapter.

Lisette, sorry about Logan not being as gruff as usual. I'm trying to have him handle Buffy in the same manner as Rogue. In the movie he was always just a little softer towards her. Don't fear his gruff demeanor will show up when the rest of the x-men crew shows up. I'm glad you're liking the Buffy/Logan pairing. Just something about those two clicks in my head. And her past will come out real soon.

cricket, they'll make it to westchester eventually. They've got a couple of things to do first.

Rosie, I know Hugh Jackman is just hot. I don't particularly care for his current hair do either. But from what I understand they're extensions for a movie he's shooting. Although the long hair does work if he's wearing leather pants (Mtv movie awards). Glad you're enjoying the story!

Judith, don't worry, no plans on making Buffy a mutant. I agree with her having a lot to deal with.

Lora Darcy, I agree that Buffy definitely needs to eat more. But have no fear, Logan will make sure that she puts some meat on her bones. I'm glad you like my little details I put in. I hope it makes the story more entertaining and interesting.

A big Whoo Hoo and thank you for everyone who has reveiwed this story. It makes me feel good to know that you guys are reading and enjoying.

Chapter Four

Logan made sure that Buffy ate a good breakfast before they left the next morning. As usual, she protested the entire time, but eventually gave in and ate what he put in front of her.

They arrived at Alkali Lake to find the buildings only half standing. Most of the walls and roofs had fallen in leaving piles of rubble. The two carefully walked around what was left of the buildings that had once stood there.

__

Too much to ask for, Logan thought. He started to head back to the bike when Buffy spoke.

"This probably isn't it."

"What do ya mean?"

"There was probably an underground facility. Secret military groups tend to favor those."  
"How would you know?"

"I have my ways," she said with a shrug. She didn't think now would be a good time to let him know that she was, however briefly, a member of one such group.

After searching for nearly two hours, Buffy found a hole in the floor of one of the more stable structures. She stuck her head down into it and stretched out with her slayer senses. She could feel a tunnel below that seemed to stretch on.

"I found an entrance!" She called out to Logan. "We're gonna need flashlights!"

Logan made a quick trip back to the bike to grab the flashlights he had packed just in case. When he reached Buffy, he was thankful she had come along. Otherwise he probably wouldn't have seen the hole half-hidden by a fallen wall, even with his enhanced senses.

They easily dropped down the narrow hole and Buffy started down the tunnel. It bore no markings or signs, just bare cement walls.

"How do you know to go this way?" Logan asked as he cautiously sniffed the air. From what he could smell, no one had been there in years. He also picked up that Buffy's scent had a bit of sadness to it. He thought briefly about asking her about it, but figured she'd tell him when she was ready.

"It leads down, which means it will more than likely lead us to the real compound," she answered as he caught up. The passage was just big enough for the two to walk side by side. Both tried to ignore the way their shoulders kept brushing up against each other and the sensations the touches were causing.  
Buffy still had a lot of questions about mutants. They had gone back to sleep shortly after she assured him that she didn't mind going with him today. She wondered if they all tingled on her senses like Logan did.

She thought briefly about asking him about that, but he would have questions of his own for her. Mutants were easy for her to understand and believe, but demons might be a bit much for him to take. She knew he was curious already, but hopefully he just suspected that she was a mutant.

"So what other powers do mutants have?" Buffy asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, the guy who led me here is a telepath. He runs this school for mutants. I've also met a telekinetic..."  
"A what?"

"Telekinetic, she can move things with her mind. Some can move through objects, control the weather, change shape, and so on. It varies."  
"Huh," Buffy was suddenly thinking that maybe she wasn't as different as she thought. The only difference was that hers was destiny, while theirs was simple genetics.

The deeper they got into the compound, the more Buffy was reminded of the Initiative. She got this creepy sense of deja vu, as she remembered the night she and Spike had gone in search of answers about his chip.

Thinking of him made tears spring to her eyes and she forced them back. She was here for Logan's past, not to be reminded of her own.

They soon reached a metal door. Logan went to open it, but couldn't get it to budge. "I think it's locked."

"Let me try," Buffy said as she brushed past him.

Logan smelled a change in her scent as she twisted the handle and shoved. The door groaned in protest, but it slowly opened. Then Buffy's scent went back to normal. He was going to have to ask her about that when his mind wasn't otherwise occupied.

The two stepped into a fairly large room that was lined with computers and screens. Paper and bits of rubble were strewn all over the floor.

"Willow would know what to do," Buffy said softly.

"Who would know what?"

"My friend Willow. She was good with computers, could hack into anything," she answered sadly.

"What happened?"

"Huh?"

"You said she was good, implying she's not anymore. What happened?" The smell of sadness grew stronger from her.

"Nothing," she answered shortly and then began rifling through the papers.

Logan studied the blond carefully as the scent of sadness slowly vanished. She was hiding something huge and was trying to stifle her emotions. She did it pretty well since she even seemed to be able to pull the scent back inside. He could sort of relate. He only hoped she would open up willingly before she exploded.

After thoroughly searching the room, all they found were a couple of mangled discs that they hoped they could wrestle some information from. They decided to go through the other door that led from the room.

The next room they entered was huge. A large tank was in the center of the room that had several tubes running from it to a large machine. Shelves and counters lined the walls and they held surgical equipment and data sheets.

Buffy felt Logan tense up beside her. She turned to see him staring at the tank in horror.

"This is it," he whispered as he walked up to the tank. This was the room that haunted his sleep. He felt twitches in his head, like memories that were fighting to surface.

He reached out with a shaky hand to touch the tank. As soon as his skin touched the cold, smooth surface he jerked as his body remembered being lowered into the tank. He felt the strange liquid coat his body and numb his skin.

The brunette wrenched his hand away and the images stopped. He walked around the tank and over to the machine it was connected to. Somehow he knew that this was the machine that lined his skeleton with the adamantium.

The more he moved about the room and touched different objects, the more he remembered. The images he saw didn't really explain a lot, but they at least let him know that this was the place that it happened.

The papers on the counters seemed to be written in gibberish to him rather than English, but maybe Jean could make some sense out of them. He picked up what he saw and added them to the discs.

Maybe he would be able to talk the Professor into sending the X-Men up here to see if they could find anything, or make more sense of it.

Logan was disturbed from his exploration by a sob from the other side of the room. He turned to see Buffy sink to her knees with tears streaming down her face.

All that Buffy was truly aware of was the emotions and memories that were flooding her senses. They seemed to fall on her all at once and she hadn't been prepared to stop them.

The entire place felt like death, just like the school had after the battle. Her mind kept replaying the events of that fatal day over and over.

She saw Giles' face as his neck was broken; Dawn's cry as she was bitten by a Turok-Han; Willow falling beneath the bringers; and Spike. The last words he had spoken to her, and the words she had never been able to say to him.

This place pulled up other memories of her lost friends. Her slayer sense also seemed to pick up on past emotions and the room was filled with pain. Whoever had run this facility had mercilessly performed experiments on humans. Just like Spike had been captured and experimented on by the Initiative.

Willow would have been able to find information in the computers. Xander could have raised the military training he remembered to find other information.

And she had killed them all. There was a reason why slayers were suppose to work alone. That way they wouldn't endanger anyone else.

Even though Spike had once told her that they were her anchor, the reason she was still alive, she didn't care. If she didn't have them, she wouldn't have to carry the burden of knowing that she was responsible for their deaths.

Buffy barely registered the strong, warm arms that embraced her shaking body. She was too lost in her grief. This had been the first time since the day they had died that she cried for them. She had locked everything away that day. Even when she had explained to Angel what had happened, she had done so in a flat unemotional tone. She had let the slayer inside do the talking.

Logan wished there was more he could do for her, but he wasn't really good at comforting women. So all he did was hold and rock her.

He was sure that this place triggered some memory of her own. Whatever was eating at her must have been very serious for her to break down like this.

"My fault. It's all my fault," she whispered brokenly.

Knowing that she wasn't with him mentally or emotionally, he just kept holding her. He whispered soothing nonsense in her ear and rubbed small circles on her back. Despite the fact he wondered what she blamed herself for.

After her memories and grief had run their course, Buffy realized that she was leaning against a warm, solid body. And that there were arms holding her against said body. A thought flickered across her mind that staying there would feel wonderful, but she shoved it aside and gently pulled away from Logan.

"You alright?" He asked as he unwrapped his arms. He continued to stay close though, in case she needed him.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I don't normally breakdown like that," she admitted, slightly embarrassed.

"Wanna talk about it?"  
"Nah. I'm just going to go outside and get some air," she said quickly as she stood and wiped the tears from her face.

He sat there and watched her walk away. When she reached the door he called out, "What was your fault?"

"My friends."  
"What about your friends?"

She answered so softly that without his sensitive hearing, he wouldn't have caught it. "Their deaths."


	5. Five

Hey guys! Just a little note to let you know that the next chapter should be up next Sunday. I've actually already started it, but my sister is staying with me for the week and I have to train someone to run a sound board for the next couple of nights. But summer theatre is almost over, Yay!!!

Oh, I'm open to any suggestions about what you guys would like to see happen.

wolfg07, Claddagh, Jay, criket, Rosie, AllyCat23, Andrea, SerinityRules, Kida, Demoncat, Sarah, thank you guys so much for your reviews!

Catlimere, I'm so glad you enjoyed this chapter. The Professor and Jean will be able to sense something, but I'm not telling yet. She won't meet them until the next chapter.

Lisette, you're not sick for grinning. And as for her breakdown, she has done it once before, after her mother died and Dawn tried to bring her back. It's just a rare thing for her, but I think it helps show how much pain she is truly in. After all, she lost nearly everyone.

pay-day1999, yes things will get happier, just not for a while. She's in a bad spot for now, but she'll find the sun again.

Lora Darcy, I've actually thought about making the Initiative have something to do with his memory loss, but I haven't really decided yet. I know her breakdown caught everyone by surprise, but it really needed to be done.

Plato, she'll tell him the whole story eventually. And I can't wait for the sequel!

T.C., the thing about almost crying seems to be a very common comment about that chapter. As for Mr. Gordo, Sunnydale didn't go into a whole in this story. If you noticed the only reason why she left was cause the hellmouth was closed, but the town wasn't destroyed.

Little John of Locksland, thank you so much for your review! I like knowing when people find little minor problems. I honestly didn't mean to make the readers think that Buffy was suppose to be a substitute for Rogue. I had put in the spoilers that the ones for X-men went through the first movie implying that it happened after, sorry if that had confused you any. As for her final line about their deaths, she did say it so quietly that he wouldn't have heard it without his enhanced hearing. Plus, I needed a reason to pique his curiosity. But I'm glad you still like the story. And I would love to know what other stories have this pairing cause I've found so few of them (which is one of the reasons why I wrote this).

Thank you guys so much for your reviews! I really appreciate each and every one of them.

Chapter Five

Buffy couldn't believe she had told Logan that she was responsible for her friend's deaths. She had only known him for a couple of days and now she was sharing her darkest secret. She needed to get away from him, soon.

Her mind raced as she tried to come up with a valid story for him to believe. She had a feeling that it wouldn't be an east task. After all, it was getting harder for her to disguise the truth about who she really was.

She was lucky she had a lot of practice over the past couple of years controlling her emotions so he wouldn't be able to smell the changes in her scent. Just her luck, the first human she had been attracted to since Riley and he ends up having all of the attributes of a vampire.

Buffy had to resist the urge to yell at the Powers. It was all extremely unfair the way they played with her life and emotions.

She sighed instead and began to pick her way absently through the rubble. She did hope Logan found something useful down there. His lot in life seemed as bad as hers.

The blond didn't want to get too close to him, though. If she got close then she would care. And once she cared then his life would be in danger. And with the danger would be his eventual death.

Hence the reason she needed to leave. She was just going to have to hitch rides with someone else once they reached a more civilized area. It was the only way she could be sure that he would be safe.

Meanwhile, Logan could only sit inside the compound in confusion. He found it hard to believe that she could be the cause of someone's death. While it was true that he had only known her for a couple of days, she didn't seem to be the kind of girl to intentionally lead anyone to their death.

Not to mention her overwhelming grief about it. He doubted that anyone who felt that bad about it would have committed such a heinous act. The only way she could have been involved would have been indirectly.

At least that cleared up a few questions he had about her. Such as why she was out on her own with no definite destination or ties. It was something that had been bothering him. She was friendly and personable, but she had never mentioned friends or family before today. His mind mulled over this as he stood and started to head back to the surface.

He wanted to know what happened, but he was afraid of pushing her away cause he most definitely didn't want to do that. He wanted her to stick around for as long as possible.

Logan again contemplated the strange desire to keep her close. He was by nature a solitary being, but being around the blond beauty for the past couple of days had brought about a new craving. He needed someone to share his life with, and his soul pulled to her.

As he was getting ready to suggest that they head back to the motel, a ringing noise came from his hip. At first he was confused, but then he remembered the communicator he wore there. He pulled it off his belt, flipped it open, and held it to his ear. "Yeah?"  
Buffy turned around when she heard Logan talking. She saw him standing there with a sour expression on his face.

"Professor, you've got to be joking."

"I'm afraid not, Logan," came Charles voice in his ear.

"Couldn't you send Storm or Jean?" Logan asked impatiently.

"They're currently investigating a possible mutant and they cannot be reached. I'm afraid you're the only one available."  
"You know that the kid and I don't get along. Can't the mission wait?"

Buffy's ears perked up. _Mission? What kind of mission? _His mind quickly went through two thoughts. One, was he military like Riley? And two, if there was a mission maybe she could in in on it and curb the desire to pound something.

"I've waited as long as I dared before sending someone out to check these disturbances. Something needs to be done now before the situation gets out of hand."  
"But I'm not alone, Professor," he whispered.

"You're not?" Charles asked in an amused tone, hinting that he already knew.

"No. I picked....well she's....it's complicated."

"I'm sure she'll be safe if she stays on the jet."

"It's not that, she can take care of herself. What I mean is she may not want to go."

"Ah, yes. I see your point. If she wishes to accompany you that is acceptable. If not, have Scott drop her off wherever she wishes."  
"Fine. When will Cyke be here?"

"He should be there within half an hour. He left quite some time ago. I've had trouble reaching you."  
"We were underground."  
"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Logan seemed to consider the question for a moment before replying, "Maybe."

"Very well. I'll see you when you get back. Goodbye Logan."

Logan hung up without saying goodbye. He turned to face Buffy. It seemed his questions for her would have to wait since he had some more explaining of his own to do.

"So you some kind of secret agent?" Buffy asked warily.

Logan just gave her a look that clearly said, huh?

"You were talking about a mission."

"Eavesdropping?"

"Hardly. You weren't exactly whispering until you started talking about me. So what's up?"

He paused for a moment while he tried to decide what was the best way to explain the situation to her. Deciding on a course he began, "Remember the guy I told you about? The one who runs the school for mutants?"  
After she nodded, he continued. "The teachers at the school are not only mutants, but they belong to a group called the x-men. They go around trying to stop other mutants from hurting people."  
Buffy couldn't help but make a comparison to the scoobies who went out and defended the citizens of Sunnydale and the world. "And you're part of this group?"

"Not officially. I went on one mission with them almost two months ago. The only reason why I did was because a friend of mine was in danger. But the Professor needs me to check out some disturbances with one of the members."

"And someone is coming to pick us up in...."  
"A jet."  
"Of course."

"You don't have to come with us. He said we could drop you off somewhere where you could get a ride."

"Is there going to be fighting?"

"Probably..."  
"I'll go."

"You know..."  
"I do. But I want to go. I've been itching for a fight."  
Before he could respond, his ears picked up the sound of the jet racing towards them. "Great," he muttered. "The boy scout is here."

"Who?"

"You'll see."  
Logan watched as the kid managed to land the jet a hell of a lot better than the last time. Before long, the ramp lowered and a man in a leather suit and a strange visor over his eyes emerged.

"Where's my bike, Logan?" The guy asked hotly.

"She's right over there," he answered, gesturing with his thumb.

Buffy had to suppress a giggle as she watched the man hurry over to the bike and check it over for damage.

"Relax kid. There ain't a scratch on her."

"You gonna introduce us?" Buffy asked.

"Cyclops, Slayer. Slayer, Cyclops," he answered gruffly before heading into the jet. The thought of the two of them getting along made his temper boil.

"Nice to meet you," Cyclops said with a small smile. "I'm supposed to ask if you'll be joining us."  
"Yeah. Got nothing else better to do," she said as she took her bag off the bike before he had a chance to. The two started towards the jet, her with her bag, and Cyclops with the bike.

"How long have you been traveling with Logan?"

"Just a couple of days," she replied simply as she found a place to store her bag.

"I bet he's a great traveling companion," he said sarcastically.

"Actually, Wolvie's not that bad."  
"Wolvie?" Cyclops asked with an amused look towards Logan.

"Shut up kid."

"You let her call you Wolvie?" Cyclops was obviously trying to control his laughter.

"Yeah, you wanna make somethin' of it?" He asked darkly.

"No. But wait until Rogue hears about this, she's going to tease you mercilessly." Cyclops said with a shake of his head as he started the jet.

Buffy felt a brief flare of jealousy. Whoever this Rogue was, she was apparently a close friend of Logan's. She just hoped not too close. To pull her mind away from dangerous thoughts she asked, "Are you a mutant too?"

She noticed a slight tensing in the guy's shoulders and jaw before answering, "Yeah, why?"

"Just wondering. What's your power?"

"I can shoot laser beams out of my eyes."  
"That's cool. So what's with the visor?"

"I can't control my mutation. The visor blocks the beams. I can open the visor to release them when I want to."

"Why can't you control it?"

"When I was a kid, I was in a plane with my parents and brother. The plane started going down and my parents shoved my brother and I out. My parachute didn't open correctly and I was in a coma for several months. I have slight brain damage in the area that would have controlled my powers," he answered flatly.

"And you're brother?"  
"He's dead."  
"I'm sorry," Buffy said sympathetically, thinking of her mother and Dawn.

Logan stared at Buffy in shock. In five minutes she had learned more about Cyclops than he had over several days. True, he didn't make an effort, but still. He suddenly got a brief insight into the kid's behavior. Apparently, life wasn't a total walk in the park for him either.

"What's your real name, Cyclops? Since Logan doesn't seem big on the sharing."

"Scott Summers."  
"Really? Huh, my name's Buffy Summers."

"You two related?" Logan asked, half scared of the answer.  
"I doubt it," Scott replied. "It's a pretty common last name."

"So, where are we going?" Buffy asked.

"An abandoned factory on the outskirts of Westchester. There have been strange reports about the area. Citizens have been seeing strange looking people milling about."  
"Mutants?" Logan asked.

"We don't know. The Professor is having trouble getting any sort of reading with Cerebro."  
"Cerebro?"

"It's a room specially designed to enhance his telepathic powers," Scott explained.

"Well, I'm gonna take a quick nap before we get there," Buffy said as she moved farther back so the two mutants could talk without disturbing her.

Buffy was awoken some time later by a strange feeling. She sat reclined in her seat with her eyes closed as she tried to place the sensation.

It was evil. Something out there was radiating it, and it felt just like the hellmouth back at Sunnydale.

She opened her eyes and headed back to the front of the jet. "Where are we?" She asked intently as the feeling got stronger.

"I'm getting ready to land. I was actually just going to send Logan back to wake you up," Scott answered. He was slightly surprised that he hadn't heard her walk up to them.

"Shit," she muttered as she turned around and went to her bag.

"What's wrong, Slayer?" Logan growled.

She didn't answer as she rifled though her belongings. She pulled out several random objects and placed them on her body.

Scott landed the jet and shut it down in time to see her pull out a wicked looking scythe. "What's that for?"  
Buffy gave it a practice twirl before answering. "You boys stay here. This isn't your fight."  
"Like hell will we'll stay here. You're not in charge here," Cyclops argued.

"I've got the name Slayer for a reason. And that reason happens to be in that factory. I'm the only one who knows how to deal with it. So, yes, I am in charge."  
"You're not going to kill those mutants. That's not what we do."  
"They aren't mutants, but yes, I'm gonna kill them. And you can't stop me." With that she stomped out of the jet.

Cyclops went to follow here, but Logan stopped him. "Let go, Logan."

"You won't be able to stop her."

"Why not?"

"She's better than you and me combined. Did you see the way she handled that thing? It's as if it was made for her. I suggest we watch and stay out of her way."  
"What's going on?"

"I'm not sure," Logan replied as he brushed past him and headed out of the jet. His mind was going back to the first night he met her and how those two guys she fought turned to dust. He had a hunch tonight would answer his questions about the incident.

The two mutants caught up with the Slayer just outside the door to the factory. Logan picked up on the change of her scent again.

"I thought I told you guys to stay behind. I'll take care of this," Buffy whispered tersely.

"We're just watching," Logan said defensively.

"Fine," she really didn't feel like arguing. "But these guys aren't human. Don't hesitate to kill them or you'll be dead." Then she kicked the door open.

The building was dimly lit with all sorts of machinery and boxes lying around. Logan was picking up some strange scents. The scent of decay and death hung heavily about the room. Buffy was right, whatever was staying there, it wasn't human.

He was surprised when Buffy boldly marched into the center of the room and called out, "Anyone home? Nice, tasty morsel just waiting to be gobbled up down here."

About twenty people emerged from the shadows. They all had misshapen faces with gleaming yellow eyes and fangs.

"Really. Couldn't you guys think of a better place to hide out than an abandoned factory? It's so predictable."  
"Who do you think you are?" Asked one of them.

"Why don't you come over here and find out?"  
Wolverine saw one try to sneak up behind her. Before he could yell out a warning, he smelled a huge wave of power come from Buffy and she neatly beheaded the guy without looking. The guy was dust before he hit the floor.

"Jesus," Cyclops whispered.

"We ain't seen nothing yet, I'd wager."  
The rest attacked en masse. Cyclops made a move as if he would help her, but Wolverine held him back.

Buffy never stopped moving as she made full use of her scythe. She would use the blade to decapitate the one in front of her, and then used the wooden stake at the other end to stab the one behind her.

Wolverine and Cyclops could only watch in amazement as she quickly eliminated most of the strange men. As the last two tried to escape out the back, Buffy dropped the scythe and pulled out two stakes she had hidden. She quickly threw both of them and the last two turned to dust.

"What just happened?" Cyclops asked.

She held up a finger. "There's someone else here." She moved stealthily about the room. She quickly found a hooded figure tied up in the corner. Buffy couldn't hide her surprise when she pulled off the hood.

"Clem?"


	6. Six

Sorry this is a little late, but I had less free time than I thought I would this week. Plus I got a hold of the new Harry Potter book and spent two days reading and nothing else. I didn't check over this chapter so it's probably full of typos, sorry but I wanted to post it as quickly as possible.

Next chapter should be up on Sunday.

shae, Plato, La Vito, Butterfly, X-Lander, Catlimere, Kida, pay-day1999, criket, Dynasty244, Thought, Rosie, Claddagh, evilsparky, manticore-gurl, zelda, Erro, Kristy Marie, Dark-English-Rose, Jay, Psyco, Selene, Scythe, Thank you guys so much for all of your reviews, I really appreciate them.

Belladonna, fyrechild, Makura Koneko, Clem is the flabby demon that first appeared in Life Serial during the sixth season. He's a friend of Spike's and has appeared intermittently throughout the past two seasons.

Kat, hee hee, I'm so glad you're enjoying this story so much.

theICEBear, thank you so much for your review. It's nice to know that everyone seems believable and so is the plot line. I always worry about moving things a little too fast, but thank you.

Jedi Buttercup, thank you for the compliment. I'm glad to know that my story line is original.

wolfg07, you'll find out what Jean and Storm were up to in this chapter. It's about the most that I'm pulling from the second movie.

Lora Darcy, thanks for the info about the typo. I had caught it after I posted but was too tired to correct it. I'll go back later and fix it. Glad you liked Clem, he was always one of my favorite characters on the show.

Lisette, I usually have horrendous problems writing fight scenes which is why they are usually short, but I'll try harder. And the answer to him smelling the changes in Buffy get sort of answered in this chapter.

stargal, Plato has a good crossover called Buffy and the X-Men. Other than that I haven't really come across ones that really stood out.

Sterling-Ag, I know that it was kind of weird to kill of the Scoobies, but I really had to do it. It has a lot to do with her character and her motivations in my story. As for Buffy being too powerful, I've made some changes to her that I haven't completely explained yet. I know a bit about Wolverine's history, I did some reading to know about his abilities, but I took the movie route cause I have a nearly clean slate to work with. There is just so much history in the comic that it's hard to include it all. And Hugh Jackman happens to be 6'-3" and I've read around and Wolverine is only suppose to be 5'-3". But Buffy isn't really tall either and when you're short (I'm only 5'-2") everybody seems to be tall in comparison. I just happened to choose the tall version cause he's who I visualize when I write. But thank you so much for your review and taking the time to expression her opinions. And I know you're not telling me how to write, I do appreciate the review. It also gives me a chance to justify my choices. I hope you do continue to read!

And once again, I'm open to any suggestions you guys might have for events in the story. I've got some definite things to happen but the rest is fair game. Especially any info you may have on the evil mutants, can't seem to find info on them anywhere.

Thank you guys so much for all of your reviews!!

Chapter Six

"I thought I recognized your voice," Clem said as Buffy quickly untied him.

"What are you doing here? And how did you get tied up?" She asked as she enveloped him in a huge hug.

"Moved here after I left Sunnydale," he answered cheerfully. "Not quite sure how I ended up here though. One minute I was playing kitten poker, next I woke up here tied up."

Cyclops and Wolverine were still standing on the inside of the factory's door. Wolverine sniffed the air cautiously. Whoever she was hugging, he wasn't human.

"Who is he?" Cyclops whispered.

"Dunno, but she knows him from home."  
"How do you know that?"  
"She's from Sunnydale, California and he mentioned leaving there."  
"Let's introduce ourselves."  
Wolverine shot out a hand to restrain him. "Wait. Let them have their little reunion first."  
Cyclops nodded his head and watched the strange pair. Now that he had a chance to really observe her, he was startled to realize how deceptively tiny she was. She didn't look deadly at all. And the guy had a strange flabby body with floppy ears. He wondered if they were both mutants.

"Take it the apocalypse was averted," Clem was saying.

"Yeah."

"So where's the gang?"

Pain and sorrow flared up in Buffy's eyes as she whispered, "They didn't make it."

"Not even Spike?"

She just mutely shook her head.

"Oh Buffy, I'm so sorry," Clem said as he pulled her into an embrace. "How long?"

"One year," she whispered.

Cyclops leaned closer to Wolverine and asked, "What are they talking about?"

"Not entirely sure," Wolverine lied. He was starting to piece a few things together, but didn't want to say anything before he got more information. Plus, she was entitled to her privacy.

"They'll have to come back to the mansion with us for the debriefing. Especially since I'm not sure of what exactly happened."

"Fine," Wolverine said flatly. He was secretly pleased that she would be around for at least one more day. He was getting a gnawing feeling in his gut that she was about to run.

"So who are your friends?" Clem asked nervously after they pulled apart.

Buffy turned to see the two mutants still on the other side of the factory. She had been so overjoyed in seeing the friendly demon that she had forgotten they were there. "Just some guys. I just met one of them today."

"How did you know to come here?" Clem asked suddenly.

"I didn't. I ran into the hairy one a couple of days ago and started traveling with him. Then today he got a phone call, visor-guy showed up, and then we were here." Buffy paused a moment before asking, "Many of you guys around?"

"Town is full of us."

"Great," she muttered. "Let me introduce you to the boys."

Buffy realized that after her little demonstration that evening, she was going to have to give an explanation. She picked up her scythe as she walked by it and then stepped up to the waiting x-men who had expectant looks on their faces.

"This is an old friend of mine, Clem. Clem this is Cyclops and Wolverine."

"What's your mutation?" Cyclops asked.

"Mutation?" Clem asked confused.

"He thinks you're a mutant," Buffy said.

"Oh," he said in understanding. Looking at Cyclops, he cheerfully said, "I'm not a mutant, just a demon."

"A demon?"

Looking at Buffy, Clem asked, "He's on a demon slaying mission with you and you didn't explain?"

"Didn't have time," Buffy said with a shrug.

Something beeped at Scott's waist and he pulled out a communicator like Logan's. "Yes Professor." He paused as he listened. "We'll be right there."

"What did Chuck want?"

"Storm and Jean are back. He wants us to head back."

"Oh, guess I'll be seeing you guys then," Buffy said as she tried to usher Clem out the door.

"He wants to meet you two also."

Buffy struck a defiant pose. "And if I don't want to?"  
"That's fine, but he would like to speak to you," Cyclops said calmly.

"Where is he?"

"At the mansion, just outside of town."  
Buffy thought it over. If what she was feeling was what she thought it was then she might need this Professor guy's cooperation at one point. "Fine. Take me to your leader."

Wolverine couldn't stop the snicker that escaped his lips.

Cyclops just shot him a look and led them back to the jet. They all quickly took their seats and strapped themselves in as Cyclops started the jet and lifted off.

The quick trip was made in silence. Buffy refused to look at or speak to anyone, not even Clem. Her eyes did widen as she took in the size of the mansion as Cyclops lowered the jet into the underground hanger.

"Logan, the Professor wants you to take them to his office," Cyclops said.

"Where are you goin'?" Logan asked.

"To change out of my uniform, I'll be right there," Scott answered.

"How did he know what the head guy wanted?" Buffy asked as they made their way through the corridors. She readjusted her bag on her shoulder.

"Telepathic message probably," Logan answered.

"Ah."

Before long, Buffy found herself in a beautiful ornate office. A kind looking bald man in a wheel chair rolled out from behind the desk.

"I'm Charles Xavier. Welcome to my school for the gifted. Please take a seat, the others will join us shortly."

"Others?" Buffy asked.

"The other x-men," he replied with a smile.

"My name is Buffy."  
"I know."

"What'd you do? Read my mind?" Buffy asked accusingly.

"No, Scott's."  
"Oh," she said chagrined.

"How was your trip, Logan?" The Professor asked.

"Somewhat productive. I've got some papers and discs for Jean to look through."  
The door opened and Buffy turned to see a woman with red hair and a beautiful black woman with white hair enter the room. Behind them was a guy with blue skin and markings all over his body and a tail. She stretched out her slayer sense, but the guy didn't feel like a demon. Like the others in the room, excluding Clem, he didn't feel fully human either. She figured that meant he was a mutant.

Logan smelled the brief change in Buffy's scent as the blue mutant entered the room. He watched her relax as she sensed no threat from the newcomer. He didn't fault her instincts as the guys looked fearfully about the room.

Scott chose that moment to enter the room and shut the door. He had changed back to his sunglasses and normal clothes. He took a seat and waited for the Professor to start.

"First, I believe some introductions are in order. Logan would you introduce your guests."

Logan turned to him in slight surprise. "She's Buffy Summers, also known as the slayer. His name is Clem."

"Jean."  
"This is Kurt Wagner," the redhead said, indicating the blue mutant who shyly smiled. "He's also called Nightcrawler. His mutation allows him to teleport."

"Kurt, my name is Charles Xavier. I run this school for the gifted. All of the students here are mutants so you should have no trouble fitting in. The rough looking man is Logan, also known as Wolverine. The young man with the glasses is Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops."

Turning to Buffy and Clem he continued, "The redhead is Dr. Jean Grey and the other lady is Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm."

The two women smiled and said hello.

"Buffy, Scott has told me that something rather interesting happened this evening. Would you please explain."

Logan unconsciously leaned in. His curiosity about who she really was was nearly killing him.

The blond sighed wearily. "What I'm about to tell you is the truth, no matter how hard it will be for you to believe. I'm the slayer. I'm not the first, but I will be the last to wear that title."  
"But what is the slayer?" Logan asked.

"She is the chosen one. The one girl in the entire world chosen to fight the vampires and hold back the darkness."

"Vampires?" Scott asked.

"They don't exist," Jean said.

"I told you that you wouldn't believe this. Yes, vampires do exist, so do demons. Clem here is a demon."  
"Hi!" Clem said cheerfully, waving.

"If he's a demon, why aren't you killing him?" Storm asked in an accented voice.

"He's not evil. Not all demons are trying to end the world or kill humans."  
"How do you know they aren't mutants?" The Professor asked.

"Because I can sense the difference between humans and demons. And now even the difference between a human and a mutant. Then there is always the part where they try to suck your blood, usually a big clue."

"How do you sense the difference?" Logan asked.

"Comes with the slayer package. I have enhanced speed, healing, and senses. Plus a nifty sixth sense."  
"How do you know you're not a mutant?" Jean asked.

"Because I just do," Buffy unconsciously pinched her nose in a Giles-like manner. "Thousands of years ago these guys put the powers of a demon into a girl. When she died they past on to another girl. And so on and so on, until they eventually got to me. When I died at fifteen..." Buffy trailed off as she realized how much she was telling them.  
"You died?" Logan sputtered.

"Yes, but just for a few minutes. My friend Xander revived me, but I was dead long enough for another girl to be called. For a while there was two of us, then she died and another was called. She went all psycho evil on us and we had to lock her up. Then a couple of years ago I sacrificed myself to save the world..."

"You died again?"

"Um, yeah. This time for several months, they buried me and everything. Then my friends brought me back...."  
"That's impossible," Jean said.

"Anything is possible with mage," Buffy said wryly. She figured since she had told them this much, she decided to continue. "But when Willow, she's the witch, brought me back it set some things in motion. The first evil was able to make a move to take over the world. It killed off potential slayers..."  
"Potentials?" Storm asked.

"Girls who can become the slayer. And it destroyed the Watcher's Council."  
"Watchers?" Scott asked.

"They guide and teach the slayers. The first could never take corporeal form so it couldn't be stopped. But it merged one day with this preacher guy and I killed him. That was a year ago. Lately I've been wandering and killing demons."  
"Where are your friends?" Scott asked.

"Dead," she answered softly. She was too tired to lie.

"How?"  
"The rogue slayer came back to help fight the first. I made a bad decision and Xander got hurt and suddenly they didn't want me to lead any more. They kicked me out of my own home."  
"Even Spike?" Clem asked.

"No," she said with a smile. "He stuck by me till the end. The others died fighting Caleb before I could get there with a weapon I had found. Spike died saving me," she trailed off.

"Who was Spike?" Logan asked with a voice full of emotion.

"A vampire who loved me."

"That's rather ironic," Charles said.

"He even won his soul back for me so he could show that he was worthy of me."  
"You mentioned you were the last," Charles prodded gently.

"When they brought me back, I was different. I'm immortal now. I can't die until the last demon in gone, or until the world ends."  
Everyone sat in mute surprise. She had told them incredible things and she had seen great horrors at such a young age.

"Those things tonight, they were vampires?" Logan asked.

"Bloodsuckers in the living flesh. Well, unliving flesh."

"What are your plans now?" Charles asked.

"I have to call some friends in L.A. for information. Depending on what they tell me depends on what I'll do."

"Friends?" Logan asked.

"A former watcher, a couple of demons, and demon hunters. I knew them in high school before they moved. They're the only ones I have left from home besides Clem."  
"I suggest we all retire, it's quite late. Buffy and Clem you are welcome to stay here for as long as you wish," Charles said with a smile.

"I'll stay just for tonight," Clem said. "I have my own place in town."

"Thank you," Buffy said.

"Logan, she can have the room next to yours. Jean show Clem the one next to yours and Scott's."  
Everyone began filing out of the room. Logan went to help Buffy with her bag when she stopped him again.

"I know, don't like people touching your stuff. Guessin' you keep your weapons in there."  
"Yeah. The scythe is special; it was made especially for the slayer."  
"No wonder you handled it with ease."  
"Actually, I can use nearly every weapon I put my hand on almost perfectly the first time."  
"Been meanin' to ask you somethin'."

"What?"

"Your scent changes sometimes, and not just in battle. I smelled it in the room when Kurt entered. Why?"

"Probably my slayer side. The slayer is almost like a different entity in me. Different, but still me. I used my slayer sense to test if he was a demon or not."  
"Is he?"

"Nope, a mutant. Does Clem smell different to you?"

"Yeah, doesn't smell human."  
"So you believe me."  
"Hey darlin', all makes sense to me now. Especially after watchin' you in action." They came to a stop outside a door. "This is your room, mine is the one next door," he said, indicating the door with his thumb.

"Thanks."

They stood there in awkward silence until Logan said, "I'll get you for breakfast in the mornin'. Show you the way there."  
"And to make sure I eat no doubt."  
"Of course."  
"Night Wolvie."

"Night darlin'."

After Buffy changed into her pajamas she pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

"Hey Wesley, it's Buffy. I need you to do me a favor."

"What is it?" Came Wesley's cultured British voice over the line.

"Find out what you can about a military group in Canada experimenting on mutants. Especially one called Logan or Wolverine."  
"Mutants?"  
"Yeah. I'm staying with Charles Xavier."  
"He runs a school doesn't he?"  
"Yeah. Plus I need to know if there is a hellmouth in Westchester."  
"Why do you think there's one?"  
"This place is giving off funky vibes like Sunnydale used to. I need to know."  
"I'll call you in the morning to let you know."  
"Thanks Wesley, I appreciate it."


	7. Seven

Hey guys! Then next chapter should be up next Sunday.

Claddagh, criket, Dawnlady, Makura Koneko, Dark-English-Rose, Sarah, miz, thank you guys so much for your reviews.

Catlimere, I got the idea about the slayer scent from a couple of other stories. They would talk about how she would submerge herself into her slayer side and I though it would be neat if she did and it would change her scent.

me, I had already planned on her changing, so I'm glad I'm not the only one whose thinking processes work that way.

Plato, I'm not sure about x-men villains. I don't have enough info on them yet to decide how or if I'm going to work them in.

Lora Darcy, I love Nightcrawler too. I loved him in the movie, I wanted to take him home and just love him forever, he was so cute. And Clem has always been one of my favorite characters.

Lexi, the new Harry Potter book wasn't too bad, wanted to shoot Harry through most of it. Still liked Goblet better.

Forfiwen, thank you so much for the compliment, I'm flattered.

Wolfg07, no room sharing yet.....

SerinityRules, I have a little loophole about the good demons should it come to that. But I really don't foresee the story lasting that long into the future.

fyrechild, thank you so much for the compliment. I hope my writing just gets better in the future.

I want to thank everyone for their reviews, I really appreciate each and every one of them. You guys rock!

As always, any suggestions you might have for events in the story are welcome.

Chapter Seven

The next morning, Buffy took her time getting ready for breakfast. She had the sudden urge to dress in something better than her old jeans and t-shirts. She didn't want to go overboard so she pulled out a simple skirt and top. Her bag held more than just her weapons. Willow had made it before she had died. It would magically hold anything she put in there. In the beginning she used it to carry weapons around on the hellmouth, but now it was really handy for all of her traveling.

As she got ready, she went over everything she had told the x-men the night before. She couldn't figure out why she told them so much, it was so unlike her to divulge so much information. Maybe Logan had been right, she needed company. And not just the kind to hang around with, but the kind that you can talk to about everything. But that always led to putting them in danger once they were introduced to her world.

She was putting her earrings on when there was a knock at her door.

"Who is it?"  
"Logan."  
"Come in," she called as she slipped her shoes on.

"Just checkin' to see if...." Logan paused as he took in the beauty before him. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders and had a soft glow to it.

"If what?" She asked.

"If you were ready to eat," he finished lamely.

"Yeah." Then she noticed he was looking strangely at her. "What? Something wrong?" She asked self-consciously.

"Nothing. It's just, I've never seen you...."  
"Seen me what?"  
"Dressed...."  
"I'm always dressed, except when I'm naked," she said lightly. She was inwardly thrilled that she had made him nearly speechless. "Let's go, Wolvie. Breakfast is waiting."

He couldn't help but smell her light perfume as she brushed by him. He hoped he could find a way to stay around her because she was under his skin.

They made their way to the dining hall in comfortable silence. When they reached the room she was surprised at the number of kids present. She honestly hadn't expected there to be that many students.

She noticed one girl with brown hair that had a white streak in it make her way excitedly over to them. She was dragging a nice looking boy behind her. Buffy noticed that she wore long gloves that covered most of her arms.

When she reached them she threw her arms around Logan. "Ah heard you were back," she said in a southern accent.

"Hey kid," Logan said softly, returning the hug.

"You stayin'."

"Not sure yet. Depends."

"Oh what?"

"Things."

Knowing that she wasn't going to get anymore out of him, she turned to the guy she had drug over. "This is mah boyfriend, Bobby."

Logan raised an eyebrow, but offered hid hand, "Nice to meet ya."

The girl looked expectantly at Buffy. Catching on, Logan said, "This is Buffy. Buffy this is Rogue."  
_So this was the Rogue Scott mentioned, _she thought. With a sly smile she said, "Hi. Sorry about him, but I'm sure you've noticed Wolvie's lack of manners at times."  
Rogue's eyes widened when she heard Buffy's nickname for Logan and turned to see his reaction. When all he did was roll his eyes she couldn't help but say, "Wolvie is a bit rough around the edges."

"Rogue," Logan growled warningly.

"What?" She asked innocently.

"Go eat."

The southerner just laughed and said, "Ah'm glad you're back. Nice ta meet you Buffy." Then she led Bobby back to their table to eat.

"I like her," Buffy said. "What's with the gloves?"  
"It's her mutation. She absorbs people's life force through touch. She can't control it," he said softly.

"She was the friend in trouble."  
"What?"

"The mission. You saved her."  
"Yeah," he said uncomfortably. "Where do you wanna sit?"

Buffy looked around and noticed the blue-skinned mutant sitting by himself. He looked around forlornly at the students who were laughing and talking amongst themselves. He reminded her of Willow when they had first met.

She grabbed Logan's hand and walked over to the lone mutant. "Hi Kurt!"

His yellow eyes looked up at her. "Hello," he said in a soft accented voice.

"You don't mind if we sit here do you?" He just shook his head. "Thanks," she said with a smile. She went to fix herself a plate but noticed that Logan had already done so. After a bite of her pancakes she asked, "Where are you from, Kurt?"

"Germany."  
"Cool. What did you do there?"

"I was an acrobat in the circus," he said softly.

"Wow. Why'd you leave?"

"The new circus owner wanted to put me in the sideshow as a freak."

"What?"  
"As one of the freaks."

"But why?"

"Because I am one," he said sadly.

"Says who?"  
"Everyone."

"Kurt, I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told Logan. You are not a freak. You're different, so what? It's who you are inside that counts."

He looked at her with hopeful yellow eyes. "And what am I inside?"  
"From what I've seen, you are a nice, caring, shy man. Who I would be honored to call friend."  
He was afraid to believe her. "But I don't look normal."

Buffy pointed out Clem who had just entered with Jean and Scott. "He's not even human and I'm friends with him. Why not you?"  
Kurt smiled shyly and said, "Then I would be honored to have you for a friend also." He almost jumped in surprise when Buffy hugged him.

Logan watched as she made the shy mutant feel more at ease. He was amazed by her capacity to befriend people. It almost seemed as if she instinctively went for those on the outside of groups rather than the ones on the inside.

Clem, Scott, and Jean sat down across from them. Clem gave them a cheerful hello and began eating.

Buffy had barely finished her pancakes when Logan began piling more food on her plate. "I ate Logan. You saw me eat three very large pancakes. I don't need anymore."  
"Eat."  
"Logan..." She stopped his hand before he could shove a piece of toast in it.  
"Eat."  
"One of these days, Wolvie. One of these days."  
Jean giggled.

"Shut up, Red."

Buffy blanched and dropped her fork.

"What is it?" Logan asked, smelling a trace of sadness.

"Nothing," she lied.

"Bullshit. What's wrong?"  
She sighed. "That was Spike's nickname for Willow."  
Logan remembered the name Willow as the computer expert. "Sorry."

"It's okay. You didn't know."

An awkward silence filled the table until Jean said, "I would like to run some tests on you Buffy."  
"No."  
"But..."  
"No. I'm not a lab rat."  
"Clem is allowing me to test for the x-gene, why won't you?"  
"Because I don't need your test to know I'm not a mutant."  
"But it would..."

"No!" Buffy stood. "If you'll excuse me, I'm no longer hungry," she said, then walked out of the room.

Logan growled at Jean and left also. He didn't catch up with her until she reached her room.

"Buffy."  
"Not now Logan."  
"But..."  
"I said, not now," and she closed the door in his face.

Her cell phone beeped and she saw she had a message from Wesley. After checking it she called him back.

"Hey Wesley," she said wearily. "What 'cha got for me?"

"We're coming there."  
"What? Why?"

"I have a few things I want to check out there before I can tell if there is a hellmouth or not."  
"Fine, who all is coming?"  
"The entire gang."  
"Even Angel?"  
"Yes."

Buffy was quiet for a moment before asked, "And the other thing?"  
"I'm bringing what we could find."  
"When will you get here?"

"Tonight, after dark. I would like to meet you at the school if that is acceptable with Mr. Xavier."

"I'll ask and let you know."  
"I'll see you soon."  
"Bye, Wesley."

Buffy sat on her bed for a moment contemplating what Wesley had just told her. She really wasn't in the mood to see Angel, but she had no choice.

She heard a noise in the hallway. She stretched out her senses and felt Logan. He still made her senses tingle in a very distinct way that had nothing to do with his being a mutant.

The blond slayer could no longer deny the fact that she found him attractive. But she wanted to keep him an arm's length away. Any closer and there came the danger of getting hurt.

Knowing that she'd find her way back to the Professor's office easier if her went with her she resigned herself to apologizing for her rude behavior from before.

Logan was pacing the hallway when she opened the door. He didn't stop until she stepped in front of him.

"Buffy, she..."  
"Wolvie, I'm not getting tested. But I want to say I'm sorry for shutting the door in your face."  
"I wasn't going to ask you to get tested."  
"You weren't?"  
"No."  
"Oh." She paused before saying. "I need to see the Professor, can you take me?"  
"Sure." They walked in silence for a moment till Logan said, "So you've died twice."

"Yeah. First time I was only fifteen. There was a prophecy about the freeing the Master and opening the hellmouth and that I would die. I went to face the Master anyway."  
He stopped and looked at her. "You went there even though you knew you were going to die?"

"Had to be done. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't happy about it. Actually, I was scared, but I also knew it was part of the slayer legacy to die young. There was a chance of dying every night that I went out."  
Logan just studied her for a moment before asking, "Hellmouth?"  
They started walking again and Buffy explained, "Mouth of hell, literally. Mystic forces pull together, lots of apocalypses. My high school sat on top of one. Drew a lot of big bads."  
"Big bads?"  
"Major demons, not simple newbie vamps. Although some vamps could be a big bad," she added softly.

Before he could ask, she knocked on the Professor's door. They heard him call come in.

Logan turned to go, but Buffy stopped him. "You can come in with me. I just need to ask him something." He nodded his head and followed her in.

"Buffy, Logan. What can I do for you?" Charles asked, gesturing to the chairs in an unspoken invitation to sit.

"I've called my friends in L.A.," she said as they sat down.

"And?"  
"They'll be here tonight. They need to do some research."  
"I'm guessing they wish to speak with me?"  
"Yeah. Wesley wanted to see if he could meet you here."  
"That will be find."  
"One of the team is a vampire," Buffy said.

"That is fine."  
"Are you sure? He's not going to hurt anyone, but it might..."  
"It's fine, Buffy. I trust him if you trust him."  
"Just checkin'. They'll be here tonight after dark."  
"Very well," he said with a small smile. Then he turned slightly serious. "About the testing."  
"I said no."  
"It's not for you Buffy, it's for us. So we can better understand you. I believe you. I just want to see the difference between you and normal humans."  
Buffy considered it for a moment then said, "Fine. But when I'm through I'm through. After today no more testing."  
"I understand. You can meet with Jean in the med lab." Buffy nodded. "Logan, could you show her the way?"

*******

It seemed to Logan that the closer they got to the med lab, the closer Buffy walked next to him. When they reached the door he was surprised to feel her slip her hand into his. He looked down at her as she laced their fingers together.

"I don't like hospitals," she whispered.

He nodded in understanding as she gave him a wan smile. They walked through the door together.

"I appreciate your doing this, Buffy," Jean said.

"Whatever. I'm only doing this cause the Professor asked me to," Buffy said a little surly.

"Just sit on the bed. I want to take some blood," Jean said nonplussed. She had received this kind of behavior before, mostly from Scott.

Buffy did as she asked, but didn't let go of Logan's hand. If anything, she held on to him a little tighter.

"So why don't you like hospitals?" Logan asked in effort to take her attention away from Jean.

"When I was eight my cousin Celia died in one right in front of me. I was all alone. Then I had to kill Kindlebot in another one while I had a fever. Not to mention the times worrying over my friends in one. Then the time I was nearly drained to death by my vampire boyfriend. Then the last time I was there cause I was a horrible leader and got some potentials killed and Xander lost an eye all because of me. So yeah, I have issues," Buffy babbled.

"All done," Jean said.

"Really?" Buffy asked amazed. She looked at her arm to see the little pinprick close up.

"I would like to see how quickly you heal," Jean said hesitantly.

"Fine." Buffy looked at Logan, "Cut me."  
"What?"  
"Use your claw thingies to cut my arm to curb nosy's curiosity."  
"I'm not going to hurt you."  
"Won't hurt me anymore than it would hurt you."  
Logan glared at her, but she sent him a stronger look.

"You see this. It's called the resolve face. Willow taught it to me. Nothing stops it, now cut."  
He growled, but extended one set of claws. With a grimace he made three cuts on one of Buffy's arms. They healed in under a minute.

"She heals as quickly as you do Logan."  
"Anything else? This is the only time you get me."  
"As long as you're willing," Jean said.

Over the next couple of hours, Jean ran Buffy through a gamut of tests on her stamina, strength, and healing abilities. Logan stayed with her the entire time.

"That's it Buffy," Jean said. "I really do appreciate it."

"Can I go now?" Buffy asked.

"Yes. You should have enough time to clean up before lunch."  
But Buffy barely heard anything after the yes as she was fairly dragging Logan with her out of the med lab.

As they headed back to the surface Logan asked Buffy about something that had been bothering him since her babble about hospitals. "You dated a vampire?"  
"Two of them actually."  
"And one of them drained you?"  
"I made him. He had been poisoned and the only thing that could save him was my blood."  
"He could have killed you."  
"I trusted him," she said as they reached her door. As she went to open her door she suddenly realized that she was still holding Logan's hand. Slightly embarrassed, she quickly dropped it.

"Let me know when you're ready for lunch," he said after a moment.

"Ok," she said with a smile as she slipped through the door.

Logan stood there for a minute marveling at the sense of loss he felt as she had let go of his hand. It had felt comfortable and right to hold it as they walked. He contemplated the meaning of it as he headed to his room.


	8. Eight

I really hate to say this, but the next chapter won't be up until Wednesday, August 6. If it's not up then check back on Sunday the tenth. I'm getting to the good stuff in my Harry Potter fic and my muse only wants to write it. Plus, Mark Anthony's new book comes out this week and I have to reread the first four to refresh my memory before I read it. Sorry, I'll try to have it ready by the sixth.

SPOILERS: Go through season four of Angel. I don't mention anything definite in this chapter, but I do allude to things that have happened and things that have changed in the year since those events.

Dark-English-Rose, fyrechild, Plato, SerinityRules, Makura Koneko, Thought, criket, Claddagh, Reese, pay-day1999, Lisette, Sterling-Ag, miz, Bashful C, Shadow, Belladonna, Violet Star, Thank you guys so much for your reviews.

Catlimere, boy you have a lot to look forward to, I hope I don't disappoint you.

Kristy Marie, I just adore Nightcrawler, and lucky you getting to spend time over there. Sigh, poor me stuck in my small town.

Erro, yes darn us writers wanting to know why you like the story. Curse us all. Hee hee. And yes I get the keeping the exotic events matter of fact. And don't worry about spelling, I'm just thankful I have spell check.

Blake, as for Angel you'll just have to see.

Kida, after I had posted the previous chapter I realized that I hadn't really explained why she had told them so much. I'm right there with you when people have her saying too much. I keep seeing her in this part saying things cause she's used to not having company and then suddenly realizing that it's too late to take things back.

My reviewers just kick ass!!! I love you all.

A few more author notes before you begin. I'm open to any suggestions on how to write Kurt's German accent without making it hard or annoying to read. Plus, I've never written any of the Angel characters before, so they may be a bit off.

Chapter Eight

After lunch, Storm gave Buffy and Kurt a tour of the mansion and grounds. They were even shown the hidden facilities underground.

Buffy got a chance to learn more about the two mutants. Ororo, or 'Ro, was able to control the weather and was able to use the wind to make herself and others fly. The blond slayer instantly felt at ease with the white haired mutant. She carried herself with a calm and confident air, but didn't seem aloof.

As for Kurt, she cemented her friendship with him by linking her arm with his during the tour. She never hesitated or flinched away from looking directly into his yellow eyes. She was pleased to see that Ororo never hesitated either.

When the tour was over, Buffy found Clem. He was preparing to go back to his place in town.

"How long are you going to be staying?" He asked.

"Depends on if there is a hellmouth here or not."  
"A hellmouth? Here?"

"Can't you feel it?"

Clem thought about it for a moment before saying in surprise, "Now that you mention it, I was kind of drawn here. This place does have a Sunnydale feeling to it. What are you going to do about it?"

"Angel's group is coming to check it out. If there is one I'll have to stay until it's permanently closed. I can't wander the world knowing that there's the possibility of some demon ending the world here."  
"Where will you stay?"

"Don't know. I have plenty of money to buy a house or something."

"How? Last time I remember, you were barely scraping enough to make ends meet," Clem said curiously.

"The scoobies had wills. Anya had quite a bit tucked away. Spike had left me access to his demon account. And for someone who lived in a crypt and begged money for cigarettes, he was loaded. I don't have to worry about money for at least a century."

"Wow, I had no idea."

"Me either." They were both quiet for a moment before Buffy said, "I'm glad you're here, Clem. I've missed you."  
"Missed you too."

"You got a telephone number that I can reach you at?"  
"Sure do."

*********

While Buffy and Clem were saying goodbye, the x-men were having a meeting in the Professor's office.

"What do you have for us, Jean?" Charles asked.

"Neither one of them are mutants," she began.

"She told you so," Logan snorted.

"Clem's DNA isn't even human, it contains proteins that I have never seen before. I've never seen anything like it."

"And Buffy?" Charles asked.

"She's human, but her DNA has been modified. She has extra proteins that are similar to Clem's."

"Could someone have genetically altered her?" Ororo asked.

"Not to this extreme."  
"Supports her story of the demon essence in her," Charles mused.

"But even her normal human DNA is slightly altered," Jean said.

"Buffy mentioned that when she was brought back the second time that she was different," Scott pointed out.

"I'm not sure if I believe that she has died and been brought back, but her DNA has been fortified."  
"Did you read her last night as she talked?" Ororo asked.

"I tried a light scan on both of them," Charles said.

"Tried?" Scott asked.

"I couldn't get in."

"Could they be telepathic also?" Scott asked.

"No. These weren't telepathic shields. I can sense that Clem is there but nothing else. As for Buffy, I sense more from her, but not like everyone else. There is something blocking me." Charles thought for a moment before adding, "It is the same problem I had with sensing those at the factory."

"Do you think it could be the demon aspect?" Scott asked.

"It's very possible."

"Are you saying that you believe her?" Jean asked.

"Oh come on Jeannie," Logan said. "You've got the evidence in front of you. You said it yourself, he ain't human and she's more that human."

"And you didn't see those guys in the factory turn to dust like we did," Scott said quietly.

"Dust?" Ororo asked.

"Whenever she decapitated the vampires or staked them, they turned to dust," Logan explained.

"What did the rest of the tests show?" Charles asked.

"She has a high metabolic rate, heals as fast if not faster than Logan, and is extremely strong. So strong that I was unable to test her full strength."

"Did you test her fighting skills?" Ororo asked.

"No. I figured it would be better to test them in the danger room."  
"She's fast," Scott said. "I had problems following her last night."

"So if demon's and vampires are real, what do we need to know and do?" Ororo asked.

"Buffy's friends from L.A. will arrive here tonight. We can ask them and Buffy then," Charles answered.

********

Buffy pushed her food around on her plate. She was sitting at one end of a table with Kurt and Logan for dinner. The blond kept nervously eyeing the setting sun.

"Do you miss your friend, Clem?" Kurt asked in his soft voice.

"A little," she replied with a small shrug. "It had been over a year since the last time I saw him so I'll live."

"Then why ain't you eating?" Logan asked.

Buffy glared at him and took a bite of her chicken. "I'm eating."

"That's the first bite you've taken in ten minutes. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said as she glanced out the window.

Logan's intuition took a leap forward. "Nervous about your friends coming?"

She suddenly turned her attention back to the food on her plate and took another bite of her chicken.

"Who all is coming?" He pressed.

"Um...Wesley. He used to be my watcher."

"One of those guys who trains slayers?"  
"Yeah, he wasn't my first one though."  
"Why?"  
"My first watcher, Merrick, died shortly after I was called. When I moved to Sunnydale, Giles became my new watcher." She had a distant look on her face as she remembered. "He was uptight, loved tweed, and followed the rules. I brought him around though."  
"How did Wesley become your watcher?"  
Buffy's body tensed. "When I was eighteen, the Council performed a test on me. They took away my powers and locked me up in a house with a deranged vampire. I was supposed to fight him alone, but Giles broke the rules and helped me. So, they fired him."  
"And then Wesley..."  
"Became my watcher. He was useless. A pompous bore with no people skills. He left after I graduated and blew up the school."  
"You blew up your school?" Kurt asked.

"Mayor became an ascended demon, trapped him inside, and boom. Anyway, he left and eventually went to work for Angel in L.A."

"Angel?" Logan asked.

Buffy kept talking as if she hadn't heard him. "Then there's his girlfriend Fred. She's a literal genius. She got sucked into this portal to another dimension and was there for five years until Angel saved her. She ended up staying and working for him."

"Angel is?" Logan asked again.

"And Gunn grew up on the streets of L.A. fighting demons. Can't quite remember how he ended up working with Angel."  
"And Angel is?" Logan asked, slightly irritated that she was avoiding the question.

"Lastly there's Lorne. He's from that dimension Fred got sucked into. He's a demon, but real friendly like Clem is. He reads peoples auras, intents, and even futures when they sing. He ended up working with Angel when they blew his bar up."  
"Buffy," Logan said, forcing her to look at him. "Who is Angel?"  
"A vampire. Their boss," she said before she began shoveling food in her mouth so she couldn't talk.

Logan reached out and stopped her. "Something tells me he's a little more than that."

"We used to date," she said quietly. "He was my first love."  
The two mutants looked at her for a moment before Kurt asked, "What happened?"

"Same old story. Girl falls in love with two hundred year old vampire cursed with a soul and he falls in love with the girl. They make with the smoochies and more; vamp has moment of perfect happiness and looses soul. Vamp goes on killing spree, girl has to kill said love and send him to hell."  
They stared at her in shock.

"Obviously he came back, girl nurses him back to health, saves him from poison, they date, breakup, and he leaves her. You know same old, same old."

"I'm sorry. We shouldn't have pried," Kurt said softly.

Buffy's head jerked up and Logan could smell her slayer side. "He's here ain't he?"  
She just nodded and stood. "Have Scott or Storm meet me at the door. Angel will need an invite."  
Scott and Logan caught up with Buffy just before she opened the door. Standing in the deepening twilight was five figures of varying heights and builds.

The smallest figure bounced in and enthusiastically hugged the slayer. "Hi ya Buffy. It's so good to see you again."  
Buffy hugged the girl back and said with a grin, "It's good to see you too, Fred." She turned to a nice looking man with a long scar across his neck. She gave him a small hug and said, "Hi Wesley. Thanks for coming."  
"It was no problem."  
Buffy shook hands with a dark skinned man. "Hey Gunn. How's Gwen?"  
He laughed and said, "Still shockingly beautiful."  
A green skinned guy with horns and red eyes gave Buffy a kiss on the cheek. "Hey there sweet cheeks, still gorgeous as ever."  
"Thanks Lorne." She then turned to the last figure. "Angel," she said flatly, her smile leaving her face.

"Buffy."  
"Any change with Cordelia?"  
"No," he answered and then a tense silence fell over them.

Logan studied the one she had addressed as Angel. So this was the guy who broke her heart and nearly killed her. He wasn't sure of their full history, but it was obvious he had hurt her horribly in the past. Logan decided then and there he didn't like him.

He had to resist the urge to growl when he caught a whiff of Buffy's pain. The bastard was still hurting her and probably didn't know it, the prick.

Scott cleared his throat, jolting Buffy into introductions. As she introduced Logan to Angel she could see the hint of a sneer on the mutant's face. She rolled her eyes. She knew she shouldn't have told him about Angel. Now she was going to have to put up with their male posturing.

When the introductions were finished, Wesley said, "I would like to speak with you first, Buffy, before we meet Mr. Xavier. Is there someplace we could meet?"

Before she could respond she saw Scott tilt his head slightly and then say, "The Professor said you could use his office."  
Wesley looked at him questioningly until Scott explained. "The Professor is telepathic."

"Ah," the former watcher said. "Shall we then?"

They started down the hall until they heard Angel call out, "Um, Buffy."

She turned to see Angel waiting on the other side of the door for an invite. "Oh Angel, I forgot." She turned to Scott and said, "You need to invite him in."  
"Why don't you?" Scott asked curiously.

"I don't live here. An invitation only works from someone who lives in the building."

"Oh. Angel, please come in."

The vampire nodded his thanks and walked into the mansion. Logan couldn't stop the smirk that appeared on his face. He had a feeling she hadn't forgotten.

"Wow," Gunn said as they headed to the office. "Check out this place. It's a sweet setup."

After they reached the office, Logan and Scott left them alone, although Buffy had a feeling that Logan didn't go far.

They all found a place to sit and then Wesley began, "I had the researchers at the firm look into this. It seems there has been an increase of demon activity in this area. But what they found wasn't conclusive."

"Which is why you came here," Buffy said.

"Yes. Once we arrived Angel and Lorne both commented on the evil vibes this place has. We're going to have a look around town over the next several days. My question is, if we do find a hellmouth, what do you want to tell Mr. Xavier?"  
Buffy thought about it for a moment before saying, "Everything. I think he can handle it. Plus, he needs to know so that the x-men won't be letting demons go free thinking they're mutants."

"Very well. As for the other thing you wanted me to look into, Fred."

The young Texan stepped forward and handed Buffy a large thick manila envelope. "This is everything that we could find. I warn ya, it's not pretty."

"It's not for me, it's for Logan."  
Fred's eyes went wide as saucers. "You mean that guy we just met?"

"Yeah, why?"

The brunette just shook her head and said, "Didn't realize that you knew him, and that he was the one they...I just didn't put two and two together..."

"It's okay, Fred. I'll make sure he gets this."  
"Are you going to read it?" Angel asked.

"No, it's not my business. He deserves to know what happened to him. If he ever wants me to know, he'll tell me," Buffy said, closing the matter to discussion. "Anything else?"

"No."

"I'll get the others then," Buffy said as she rose and crossed to the door. As she had suspected, Logan was leaning against the wall a few doors down, smoking a cigar. She wrinkled her nose as she approached him. "That's a disgusting habit."

He shrugged as he put it out in his hand. "Everyone needs one."

"Can you get everyone to meet in the office?"

Logan grimaced and said, "No need. On the way already. Damn strange, him in my head."

"Better yours than mine. Can you make sure Kurt comes too?"

He tilted his head for a moment then nodded. "He's coming."

"Good." She paused before saying, "Might as well go back into the office. Coming?"  
The mutant pushed himself off the wall and indicated with a hand for her to lead. He followed her into the office and hovered protectively behind her. If she noticed, she didn't say anything.

While they waited, Fred just stared at Logan with wide eyes. He tried his best to ignore her, but he finally asked, "What?"

She smiled and stammered, "I didn't realize you were who you were earlier. And now that I know it's like wow."

He narrowed his eyes. "What is wow?"  
The rest of the x-men and Kurt entered before she had a chance to answer. Buffy did a quick introduction and then stepped back so Wesley could talk.

"Mr. Xavier...."  
"Please, call me Charles."

Wesley nodded and continued. "Charles, before I explain our presence here, I would like to ask you and your faculty some questions."

"Go ahead."

"Has there been an increase of unusual deaths and disappearances around here?"

Charles contemplated the question and then answered, "Now that you mention it, yes. I just assumed it was mutant related."

"When did you notice this increase?"  
"Almost a year ago."  
"Shit," Buffy muttered.

"How much did Buffy tell you about her past as the slayer?" Wesley asked.

"Just what she did and that she had died twice." Scott said.

"She didn't mention anything about Sunnydale?"  
"The hellmouth," Logan growled.

"Heard of it?"  
"Just what little she had mentioned earlier today," he said.

"A hellmouth?" Jean asked.

Wesley gave them a brief description of what it was before saying, "Sunnydale had one until it was permanently closed a year ago."  
"And now you think there is one here, right?" Logan asked.

"Yes. Buffy called me saying she was receiving some strange vibes from this place, just like Sunnydale used to. When we arrived, Lorne and Angel sensed the same vibes."  
"Clem said he felt drawn here," Buffy added.

"How do you propose we find out if there is a hellmouth or not?" Charles asked.

"My crew needs to patrol and feel it out. Once we think we've found the general vicinity there is a spell we can do," Wesley explained.

"A spell?" Jean asked.

"Well, yeah," Fred said. "How else are you going to test for a magical convergence besides magic?"  
"I don't believe in magic," Jean replied.

"I used to say the same thing. Course, I used to believe vampires weren't real either," Gunn said.

"I don't believe in vampires either," she said evenly.

"Oh for goodness sakes. We don't have time for this. Angel, put on your game face," Buffy ordered irritably.

All the x-men turned to Angel in time to see his demon visage come forward. Ororo let out a small gasp, while Kurt crossed himself.

"Everybody happy? This is what a vampire looks like in its demon form," Buffy said.

Angel's face reverted to its human form. "But not all of us walk around like that. We prefer to mask ourselves to blend in. Makes it easier to lure the innocent," he said softly.

Charles nodded his head. "When will you begin your research?"

"Tonight," Wesley said.

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"No, we haven't checked into a hotel yet."  
"You are welcome to stay here. I would like to learn more about your world," Charles said.

Wesley looked at his companions, then said, "Thank you. I believe we'll take you up on that offer."


	9. Nine

Sorry that it took so long to get this one up. I'm afraid the next one won't be up until the 20th. I have canning to do and school starts in another week. I just finished typing this so there are probably a ton of typos, just to warn you.

Stoic, Claddagh, Plato, Belladonna, Kristy Marie, Sarah, pay-day1999, miz, Kilea859, fictionfan, Dark-English-Rose, SerinityRules, Lisette, mia, Bashful C, thank you guys so much for your reviews!

Catlimere, yes Storm is suppose to be claustrophobic, something about being trapped as a child. Buffy won't be, but the coffin thing does appear in this chapter.

Kayla, I have a big scene between Angel and Logan coming up in either the next chapter or the one after. It should be a lot of fun. I haven't decided about Lorne yet, so we'll just have to see.

chelsey, there is some history in the past year between Buffy and Angel that I haven't revealed yet. Don't get me wrong, I love Angel, but I don't particularly like him with Buffy or what he has done to her. There will be some Angel bashing, but nothing huge. Cause I like I said I do love him. Now if I brought Riley in, that would be a completely different story.

Sterling-Ag, thanks for the hints on Kurt's German!

Lora Darcy, I'm glad you liked Fred's reaction. She is one of my favorite characters on that show, kind of like early Willow. Thanks for the help with Kurt's German also!

Lexi, I happen to just be a fan of HP, not a fanatic. My sister thinks I'm insane cause I actually like the movies better than the books. I feel that J.K. Rowling takes a long roundabout time to get to the point. I didn't even think the new book got good until 600 pages in.

boo, don't worry. They'll get on equal footing, just need to give them some time. And I don't really think she is stronger or a better fighter, more like she surprised him during their first fight. Plus the fight hadn't been a short one, it was an hour long.

As always my reviewers are just the best ones out there! I love you all!

Chapter Nine

"Well, if we're done, I'm gonna change to go patrolling," Buffy said as she headed to the door.

"Would it be all right if some us go with you?" Ororo asked.

"Sure 'Ro, I don't care," she answered as she walked out. "Meet at the front door in fifteen."

When Buffy arrived at the door she was surprised at the number of people standing there. All of the x-men were there along with Angel's group. "We can't all go, we'll look too suspicious. And you guys can't wear those," she said, indicating the uniforms most of the x-men were wearing.

"Why not?" Jean asked.

"You look like a gang or something. You need to look normal and you need to be able to move in them."

"Like yours are any better?" Jean scoffed.

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "I've been doing this for over eight years, I think I know how to dress to go slaying."

Logan couldn't help but mentally agree with her as he took in her black leather pants and red baby tee. Her heeled boots gave her a little more height.

"Now go change," Buffy ordered.

He smirked as he watched the other x-men, except Kurt, sullenly leave to change their clothes. He turned his attention back to those remaining when he heard the green skinned demon speak.

"Let me volunteer to stay here."

"That's fine Lorne," Angel said. "But the rest of us should go."

"I doubt you'll be able to talk any of the others out of going," Logan said. "They're too curious."

"Then we'll split up," Buffy said. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"Buffy, since you and Angel are the only ones who will be able to sense the hellmouth, I suggest that you each head up a team," Wesley stated.

"Sounds good to me," Buffy said. "I'll take all the x-men except Scott. He'll help you guys around town," she offered as the others showed up.

"Are we splitting up?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, you're gonna go with Angel's group, the rest of you are with me." She looked over their clothing. "Much better. Now you won't stick out."

"Is there anything we should know before we leave?" Kurt asked.

Buffy sent Angel a look and he nodded. The two began pulling out various stakes they had hidden and passed them out to the x-men.

"A pointy stick?" Jean asked.

"A stake. For a vampire. You can kill it with a wooden stake in the heart, decapitation, or fire."  
"What about crosses or holy water?" Kurt asked.

"It'll slow 'em down but won't kill them," she said as a flash of Spike draping himself over a cross popped in her head.

"What about demons?" Logan asked.

"Decapitation is usually best, but you can kill most of them the same way you would kill a human."  
"I'm uncomfortable with your use of the word kill," Jean said.

"It's either kill or be killed. Believe me they aren't uncomfortable with killing you," Buffy said flatly. "Any more questions?" When nobody said anything she said, "Then let's go."

They headed to the garage so they could take cars into town.

"I want to start at the factory we were at last night," Buffy told Jean, who was driving.

"Why?" Jean asked.

"Because the feeling was stronger there." She paused before asking, "Are you going to question everything I say? Cause I gotta tell ya, it's gonna get old real fast."

"I'm a scientist, I always question things."

"You might want to lighten up. Didn't seeing Angel's true face show you anything?"

"True face?" Ororo asked.

"The demon is his true face, the human one is the mask, to disguise the monster within," she answered quietly.

"What makes Angel different?" Jean asked.

"He has a soul," the blond answered as she turned to look out the window.

"Like that Spike guy?" Ororo asked.

"Not quite. Jean park here somewhere," she said, cutting off further conversation.

They all got out of the car after Jean had parked it. Logan could smell Buffy stretching her senses. He used his own and smelled something strange a couple of blocks down.

"There's a demon up ahead," Buffy said. She turned to face them. "I don't mean to be rude, but I would really prefer it if you didn't do anything to help. I don't know how well you fight and if you use your powers it might distract me."

"What about me?" Logan asked.

"You're fine, I know you can handle yourself. But unless there is more than three, I don't want you guys to help."

"Sounds reasonable," Ororo said.

Buffy flashed her a smile and then headed down the street. She turned down an alley and called out, "Hello! I know you're hiding in here."  
A greenish-grey average sized demon stepped out of the deep shadows. Buffy groaned and said, "Great, another one of those." She turned to Logan and said, "Watch out, he has spikes that come out of his arms."

"I take it you've run into his kind before."

"You could say that."

The demon rushed Buffy and she easily ducked under its swing. As she did this, she swung her leg out, knocking the demon of its feet. She heard a skint sound and turned in time to see Logan behead it with his claws.

"That was mildly disappointing," she muttered.

Storm crinkled her nose and asked, "What kind of demon was that?"

"A polgara demon," Buffy said with a shrug. "They're not really known for their intelligence."

"Are all your fights that easy?" Kurt asked as they headed out of the alley.

"I only wish," she replied as she continued to lead them down the street.

Before long, they reached the factory they had been at the night before. Logan fought the urge to snort with laughter as he watched Buffy close her eyes and sink into her slayer powers. She seemed to be using her body like a compass.

After a few moments of orienting herself, she opened her eyes. She pointed behind the factory and said, "It's that way."

They followed her past the factory and into the woods. She led them down a seemingly nonexistent path until they reached a clearing in the woods. She stopped and said, "I think this is where it is. The feeling is the strongest here."

"What feeling?" Jean asked curiously.

"Evil," Buffy answered with a light shiver. She turned to them and said, "Fan out and see if you can find any evidence of people of things lurking around."

They had been looking for about five minutes when Angel's group showed up. Buffy looked at Angel and said, "Lead you here too, huh?"

The tall vampire just nodded his head.

"Did you find any clues?" Wesley asked.

"Nah, we've only been looking for a few minutes."  
They all turned to Jean when she asked, "Scott, what are you grinning about?"

Logan looked at the mutant to see a look akin to a child's face on Christmas morning. "Yeah kid. What are you so chipper about?"  
Scott excitedly said, "You should see what my beams do to vampires!"

Jean raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?"  
"They catch on fire and turn to dust!"

"Sunlight does fuel your powers," Jean said thoughtfully.

"Oh! And sunlight catches vamps on fire. So it makes sense," Fred pointed out.

They all continued their search around the clearing. From one corner Gunn called out, "I found some funky footprints."

Everyone headed over and Logan bent down to inspect the prints. "These didn't come from an animal." He sniffed the area. "Whoever made these were not normal."

Angel looked at him questioningly and Buffy supplied, "He's got heightened senses."  
He nodded his head and said, "Oh."

Wesley looked around at the tired faces and said, "I suggest we head back to the mansion. We can return tomorrow during the day to perform the spell."  
They all nodded and returned to the cars. Once they were driving back, Buffy asked Jean, "What do you think about vampires and demons now?"  
She just shrugged and said, "I don't understand how they're different from mutants, or how we've never come across them before. But I accept the fact that it's more than what science can explain."  
Buffy nodded in understanding, knowing that the scientist in her was slowly coming to grips with the slayer's reality.

When they returned to the mansion, Scott left to fill the Professor in on what they had found. Lorne came down to show Angel's group where their rooms were. Buffy and Logan walked together to their rooms.

Buffy stopped him before he entered his room and said, "Wait here for a sec, I have something for you." She then entered her own room then quickly came back out carrying the envelope Fred had given her.

She held it out to Logan and he asked, "What's this?"

"I know that we didn't find much at Alkali Lake. But I asked Wesley to use their resources to see if he could find anything. This is what they could find."

Logan stared at her in amazement. He couldn't believe that she would go this far out of her way to help someone she had just met several days before.

He reached out with trembling fingers and grasped the envelope. All he could get out was a gruff thank you that was filled with emotion.

Buffy gave him a soft smile and said, "You're welcome." She then went into her room and shut the door.

Later that night Logan sat on his bed staring at the envelope she had given him. He had just gotten out of the shower and he had pulled on a clean pair of sweat pants.

A thought occurred to him, that the reason why he hadn't torn it open to read what was written was because he was afraid. Afraid of who he was. He had spent the better part of the past fifteen years trying to figure out what had happened to him. Now that he was faced with the prospect of the truth, he was afraid.

His first memories were of blood, of him washing the blood off himself. But he didn't know if the blood had belonged to him or someone else. What if he had been selected for the experiment because he was a criminal?

He had never really thought much about who he had been because he had been too busy trying to find out what had happened.

Logan picked up the envelope, stared at it, then dropped it. He ran a hand through his wet, tousled hair and sighed.

What if he had been somebody to be ashamed of? Granted, he hadn't been the model citizen for the past fifteen years. But what if his forgotten past was worse than the one he remembered?

As he reached for the envelope again he heard a soft cry from next door, Buffy's room. He paused with his hand still outstretched and listened closely. He heard another one and sounds of a struggle.

Worried that something might be wrong, he leapt out of bed and exited his room. At Buffy's door he knocked softly and when he received no answer he opened the door to see Buffy in the throws of a nightmare.

He spoke her name and when she didn't respond he crossed the room. He turned on the small lamp sitting on the nightstand and it let off a gentle glow. Logan looked down at Buffy, and she seemed to claw at the air as she whimpered.

Thinking quickly, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her into a sitting position. He sat next to her an shook her gently. Her eyes flew open and searched frantically about the room. 

Buffy opened her eyes to see looking at her with a worried expression on his face. Her eyes searched the room, unsure of where she was. When her mind realized she was in her room at Xavier's school her body sagged.

She surprised Logan by throwing her arms around him and holding him tight. Tears came unbidden to her eyes and she couldn't seem to stop them. What was it about this man that made her feel comfortable enough to cry on his shoulder twice in the same number of days?

Once Logan got over his initial shock, he wrapped his own arms around the woman clinging to him. He savored the feeling of her body being held close to his.

After a few minutes, Buffy pulled away and embarrassedly wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm not normally this weepy."

"It's ok. Bad nightmare?"

"A real life one." At his raised eyebrow, she clarified. "It wasn't something that could've happened. It was something that did happen."

"You looked like you were clawing at something," he said quietly.

Her face turned a light pink and she ducked her head. "When my friends brought me back the second time they didn't think the spell had worked. I woke up in my coffin. I had to dig my way out."

He just stared at her in horror. To think she clawed her way out of her own grave was a terrifying image. No wonder she had a nightmare about it. All he could think of the say was, "I'm sorry."

She shrugged and said, "It's not your fault, it was theirs. Willow had been messing with magics she shouldn't have." She lifted her head and said, "Thank you for waking me up. That's the first time I've had that one in a while."

They both sat in silence for a few minutes before she said, "It must be all the reminders of my friends that caused it."  
Logan asked softly, "Are you all right to go back to sleep?"

"I think so. Have you read the info I gave you yet?" She asked tentatively.

He shook his head and said, "Not yet. Did you read it?"

"No. You have the right to know first and to decide if you want to share or not."

The mutant nodded his head in thanks. Neither noticed the vampire watching them sadly from the shadows of the hallway. Or saw him walk back to his room.

Logan rose from his seat on the bed. "I'll see you in the morning." She nodded her head.

After he closed the door, she turned off her light and her head sunk into her pillow. Buffy closed her eyes and the image of the half-naked Logan appeared. She could still feel his arms wrapped around her and she drifted back to sleep with a small smile on her face.

When Logan got back to his room he looked at the envelope and thought, _I've waited fifteen years, what's another night gonna hurt? _He then tossed it onto his nightstand and turned off the light.

As he closed his eyes, he could faintly smell Buffy's scent on his skin. It was almost as if she was lying in the bed next to him. The last coherent thought he had before sleep claimed him was that he wished she _was_ there next to him.  



	10. Ten

Believe me when I tell you that I'm not abandoning this story. It's just I'm overloaded at work and a million other things are piling up and I don't have time to do everything all the time.

I'm also learning why my favorite author tells her reviewers that a review that only asks when the next update is, or only demanding an update is annoying. I have a life that exists outside of fanfiction and a husband I do try to spend time with.

Once again, I remind you that I will not abandon this story, I hate it when people do that. It's just going to take me a little longer to find enough time to write.

If you guys would like, I can set up an update list for this story, just let me know if you want to be on it.

Chapter Ten

Buffy met up with Logan the next morning for breakfast. She was still slightly embarrassed by the way she had cried on his shoulder, yet again, the night before. She was thankful that he didn't mention it.

When they reached the dining room, Buffy looked around for Kurt. She spied him sitting at one end of a table with Fred and Wesley. Fred was talking excitedly and Kurt was hanging one every word.

The slayer smiled softly. She should have known that the kind-hearted Texan would take an instant liking to the shy mutant. She dragged Logan over with her and sat down with cheerful hello. She sighed, however, when Logan placed a plate filled with food in front of her.

Buffy shot him a look and he grinned. "You didn't eat dinner last night," he said in way of explanation.

He looked up to see Fred staring at him in awe, again. He realized she must have been the one who researched his past. He was sorely tempted to ask her if what was in the folder was good or bad. But she suddenly smiled at him and said, "Morning." Then she turned her attention back to Kurt. The information couldn't be too bad if she knew his past and yet was still friendly toward him.

Before long other people joined them at the table, including Scott and Jean. The conversation quickly turned to the spell Fred and Wesley were going to perform to check for the hellmouth.

"Do I really need to be there when you do the spell?" Buffy asked.

Wesley shook his head. "It shouldn't be necessary; it's a quite simple spell."

Buffy grinned and said, "Good."

"Why don't you want to be there?" Logan asked curiously.

She shrugged. "Magic has a tendency to go wonky sometimes and I prefer _not_ to be around when it does." 

He raised an eyebrow at her use of the word wonky, but didn't comment.

"Would it be all right if I accompanied you?" Jean asked.

"Sure, the more the merrier," Fred replied with a grin.

"Why do you want to go? I thought you didn't believe in magic," Buffy asked Jean.

"Like I told you last night, I am by nature a scientist. So I am curious to see what will happen."  
Well at least she's willing to explore that something outside her neat, ordered, logical world might exist, Buffy thought as she nodded her head.

They idly chatted through the rest of breakfast. Wesley answered questions about their work in L.A. and asked questions of his own about the school.

After breakfast Logan excused himself and went back to his room. He sat down on his unmade bed and pulled the envelope off of the nightstand. He drew in a shaky breath and opened it. With a shaking hand, he pulled out a stack of papers. Figuring the girl placed things in some sort of order, he started at the top.

Buffy wandered aimlessly about the mansion. Fred, Jean, and Wesley had left to do the spell and Logan was presumably reading the info she had given him. She was bored to tears. Luckily, she ran into Storm who was on her way to the lower levels to work out.

"Is there a punching bag down there? Cause I didn't get enough aggression out last night," Buffy asked.

"Yes, there is. But you may want to try the danger room," Ororo said as the door to the elevator closed.

"That simulation room?"

"Yes. You could run one of our programs or create one of your own," Ororo suggested.

"That sounds like fun."

Ororo went with her to show her how to use the controls for the room. She had just finished explaining when the doors opened to reveal the professor, who was just finishing up the tour for Angel, Gunn, and Lorne.

"Trying out the facilities I see," Xavier said with a smile.

"Wolvie's busy, so I'm a little bored."  
The professor's smile got bigger at her nickname for Logan. "Was there any particular scenario you were planning on trying?"

"Hadn't decided yet."

"We could spar," Angel said hesitantly.

Buffy narrowed her eyes and studied him for a moment. Things had become rather strained between them during her month long stay in L.A. This could be the opportune moment for her to get her frustrations out and for them to talk things over. "Sure, sounds like fun. 'Ro any setting will be fine, but no other fighters."

The two made their way out of the control room and into the actual danger room.

"I've got a bad feelin' about this," Lorne said.

"Should be a good show though," Gunn said with a chuckle. He turned to the professor. "Might want to gather your own team down here. It's not everyday you get to watch a slayer and a master vamp go at it. Could help show your group what to expect."

"I believe you are correct, Mr. Gunn," the professor said. His eyes grew distant for a moment as he called to his x-men and several older students.

Shortly after Buffy and Angel entered the nondescript room, the air around them shimmered and became a graveyard at night.

"How familiar," Buffy muttered dryly. She could sense a growing number of mutants in the control room. "Great, an audience. Got to love those."

"Ready Buffy?" Angel asked.

"As I'll ever be," she replied.

It had been some time since the last time they had sparred so the two fighters circled each other warily. Their minds went through known strength and weaknesses and possible new ones.

Buffy lashed out first with a swift kick to Angel's head. He narrowly ducked and swept his leg out to knock her off her feet. But she was prepared and jumped on top of a nearby tombstone. She kicked out with her foot again and this time she connected with his jaw.

Angel stumbled back a few steps but recovered in time to block a punch to his stomach. He slammed the palm of his hand into her chest sending her flying against the side of a mausoleum. She ducked as he swung at her causing his fist to hit the mausoleum instead.

"Mah god! They're gonna kill each other," Rogue exclaimed.

"Nah, they're just playin'," Gunn assured her. "He hasn't even brought out his game face yet."

"This is truly remarkable," Xavier said as he watched the two fighters below them.

"You should have seen her against twenty vampires with her scythe," Scott said.

"It is a beautiful weapon," Gunn said.

"I didn't know people could move that fast," Bobby breathed, as he couldn't tear his eyes off the seemingly intricate dance below, neither getting the upper hand.

"They can't," Kurt said. "Her speed and strength are a gift from God. While his soul may give him a conscience, his powers come from the devil."

"But isn't how you use any gift that is important?" Ororo asked.

"Of course it is gorgeous," Lorne told her. "For most of us it's our day to day actions that count. But for a selected few, they fight for the big picture, but they try to not forget about helping individuals. It's a line those two walk everyday."

"They aren't the only ones," Scott said softly.

Back in the danger room, Buffy narrowed her eyes and said, "You're holding back."

"So are you," Angel retorted as he landed a kick to her side.

"Let's say we stop."  
"Fine by me."

Buffy punched Angel so hard he saw stars. He could have sworn he felt something crack in his jaw. He let his demon come forth and said, "What the hell is your problem?"

"What do you care?" Buffy asked before vaulting over him then kicking him in the back.

"What's that suppose to mean?" He asked as he whirled around and stopped her fist.

She brought her knee up to his groin and he let go. "You make decisions for me and everyone else without thinking or asking how we'd feel about it."

"What?"

"Funny thing about being the last slayer. Seems that spells that affected my memory have been lifted."

Angel stopped fighting and stared at her in horror as he realized what she meant. "You remember," he choked out.

"Yes, I remember out perfect day together when you became human. I remember my life with and without Dawn. I even remember your son Conner."

"How long?"

"While I was in L.A. pieces started to comeback. I was confused for a while until I remembered the end of our day together and what you had told me."

"That's why you turned cold towards me."

"Hell yes that's why! You never let others make the decisions! _You_ broke up with me! _You_ left me! _You_ decided not to stay human! _You_ decided to give Conner up!" Buffy's voice became progressively louder.

Up in the control room the professor turned off the audio. "I don't think we need to hear this."

Gunn leaned over and whispered to Lorne, "Who's Conner?"

"All you ever do is push people away and make their decisions! Did it ever occur to you to try and find a way to make the soul permanent? Hell even Spike knew to do that."

"Don't you dare bring him into this."  
"Why not? His demon loved me so much that he fought for his soul so he could love me better."  
"That's a lie!"

"No, it's not! His demon loved me more than you with your soul ever did!"

"I was trying to do what was best for you!"

"By making my decisions for me? How am I supposed to learn if you don't let me?"

"Buffy...."

"And did Cordy even know you loved her?"

"I don't kn...."

"You do, too. I'm surprised you let her become half demon."

"I didn't have a say in it."

"And why did she do it?"

"So she could stay and help me," he said sullenly.

"See. It is possible to make a decision to help someone and still be with them. Call me when you start fighting for your own happiness." She turned to walk out the door.

"What about your happiness?"

She stopped but didn't turn around. "I am happy."

"Really? Then why haven't you settled in a city? Why haven't you made new friends? Why are the nightmares still coming?"

Buffy whipped around. "How did you know?"

"Heard your cries last night. Saw how he comforted you."  
She strode up to him and slammed her fist in his face. "I am no longer your concern. And neither is Logan." She stormed out of the room. The furious slayer brushed passed Logan as he stood in the hallway outside the door.

Logan had been in the middle of a document when the professor had informed everyone about the sparring session. He had decided to finish reading it before heading down to the danger room.

He could hear the yelling as he walked to the control room and he had stopped to listen. He couldn't help but smile in grim satisfaction as he listened to her tear into her former boyfriend.

He could smell her anger and pain as she rushed out and he felt a growl begin deep in his chest. He didn't have the faintest clue where the urge to protect her came from, nor did he care. It wasn't a need to physically protect her since she could do that herself, but to emotionally protect her. She had suffered enough that she didn't need that vampire causing her more pain. With that in mind he walked into the danger room.

"Uh oh," Scott said as he recognized the figure entering the room below them.

"Should we stop him?" Rogue asked.

"No, not yet," the professor answered. "This is a personal matter and we shouldn't interfere. They need to work this out on their own."

"Angel could rip him to shreds," Gunn pointed out.

"But there is more to Logan than what meets the eye," the professor told him. "He's a rather unique mutant."

All those in the control room watched in silence as the scene unfolded below them.

"Not too tired are you, bub?" Logan asked when Angel saw him.

"You really don't want to do this," Angel said with his teeth clenched.

"Do what? Spar? Kind of bored, it would be an easy way to pass the time."

"Not as easy as you think."

"If I could hold my own against Buffy for an hour, I'm sure I'd be fine."

Angel's eyebrow quirked in surprise. Logan could see bruises forming along his jaw from where he supposed Buffy had punched him.

"I don't think Buffy would appreciate me beating up her new boyfriend," Angel growled.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm not her boyfriend. Plus, you'd have to hit me first."

"Let me try this another way," Angel said. "I'm not in the mood to spar with you."

A feral smile appeared on Logan's face. "I really don't give a shit."

"Do you always pick fights with those who have been weakened."

Wolverine raked his eyes over Angel. "From what I can see you have no broken bones or major injuries, just a few cuts and bruises. Nothing that could keep you from sparring." He paused before saying, "Unless, of course, you're afraid."

"I'm not afraid," Angel snarled before leaping at Logan.

Logan let himself fall back with the attack and used the momentum to throw Angel off of him. They both leapt to their feet and eyed each other cautiously.

Angel swung at Logan's head, who barely ducked in time. Logan landed a quick punch to Angel's stomach then caught the vampire's jaw with a quick uppercut. Angel staggered back a few steps and stared at Logan in shock. "How did you do that?"

"Let's say there's more to me than what meets the eye."

Realizing this fight wouldn't be as easy as he thought it would be, Angel released his demon. The two began to tear into each other.

"Angel is gonna end up breaking most of his bones if they keep that up," Gunn said as they watched the two fight below them.

"No, he won't," Scott told him.

"Why not?"

"Because his skeleton is lined with adamantium."

"Adamana-what?"

"Adamantium," Xavier supplied. "It can only be applied in a liquefied state. Once it hardens it is indestructible."

"And it lines his entire skeleton?" Gunn asked, disbelieving.

At Scott's nod Lorne let out a low whistle and said, "Talk about your hard head."

In the danger room, Logan had Angel pressed up against a mausoleum.

"What are you gonna do?" Angel asked. "Tell me to stay away from Buffy?"

"Nah, she told you that herself."

"Then what was this about?"

"For me. I don't like you."

Angel snorted. "Really? Couldn't tell."

"You've hurt her in the past. You still hurt her, I can smell it. Just wanted to make sure you could feel pain since you are so good at dishing it out." Wolverine growled before he extended his claws and shoved them into Angel's stomach. As Angel gasped in surprise and pain, Logan whispered in his ear, "This is what she feels every time you're around. Back off and let her live her life and maybe one day you can be friends again."

"I thought you said this was for yourself?" Angel choked out as he slid to the ground after Logan released him.

"It is. I've wanted to beat the shit out of you since the moment I saw you. Letting you know how Buffy feels is just an added bonus." Then he stalked out of the room.


	11. Eleven

****

ATTENTION! PLEASE READ!! If you haven't read chapter ten, please go back and do so, otherwise you'll be a bit confused. If you have read chapter ten at an earlier time, please go back and read again. I finished it and there is an important scene at the end!

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update this. I honestly didn't think it would be this long. But work got crazy and my muse decided not to co-operate with this story, damn thing just loves Harry Potter. Once again, please remember that I have a life and I don't respond well to threats or demands to update this story, all it does is piss me off and start me on a rant, which isn't pretty. I've been going on for two months about the damn elves at Helm's Deep.

I'm starting an update list for this fic, just let me know if you want to be on it. I sent out an email for this chapter so if you received one, you're already on the list.

Sterling-Ag, thank you, as always, for your insightful review. I've read quite a few x-men fics that link Scott's power to the sun and I just thought it would be neat for dusting vampires. And Buffy told Logan that he was ok to fight which is why she didn't get upset with him for skewering the polgara demon. And you are right, they both have some thick emotional walls. No one breaks down for at least two more chapters.

Lisette, I'm absolutely horrible at writing fight scenes and had a couple planned for the searching of the hellmouth. I had written the line about Jean accepting the demons before I wrote the fight scene and didn't even think about it not making sense until you pointed it out to me. Sorry.

Belladonna4, my husband and I have been married for two and half years. We were together for like three years before that so I have a hard time remembering what my life was like without him. And tell your friends congratulations for me.

I just wanted to take this time to thank everyone for their reviews and their support. You guys are awesome!!! I just wish I could respond to each individual review, but there are just so many. (Not that I'm complaining, I love it really I do, it's just hard to respond to everyone and make sure you guys know how much I appreciate you!)

Chapter Eleven

Buffy had just finished getting dressed after taking a shower when there was a knock at her door. She opened it to reveal Lorne.

"What's up?" She asked as she ran a brush through her damp hair.

"Hey gorgeous. The kids are back from doing their mojo. They want to have a meeting in the professor's office pronto."

"Did they say what they found out?"

"No, just called the meeting."

"Ok, I'll be down in a minute."

Lorne turned to go, then stopped and turned back. "How are you doin'?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know that you and Angelkins had a fight."  
"I just needed to get some things off my chest, I'm fine."  
"And you and Angel?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't know."  
"If you ever need a friendly ear..."

"I know where to find you," Buffy finished for him with a slight smile. "Tell them I'll be right there."

The demon understood that she had told him all that she was willing to say. He had learned when to push and when not to push her. The slayer never said anything until she was good and ready.

Buffy took a moment to center herself. She was torn between hoping there was a hellmouth here and that there wasn't. She didn't want to the people of this town to be in any more danger than necessary. She also didn't want to have to stay, because staying meant making ties and she wasn't sure if she was ready.

But there was an annoying voice inside her telling her it _was_ time to settle down, to let other people in. As much as she hated to admit it, Angel had been right. She had never properly mourned the death of her friends so she had carried her grief with her. She was afraid that if she stopped and made new friends that she would forget her old ones. That she would somehow demean their memory and place in her heart. She didn't want to replace them, but she needed to fill the empty place in her heart and soul.

The slayer took a deep breath and pulled her thought and emotions in. She schooled her features to a calm mask and headed downstairs.

She was surprised to see that Angel hadn't arrived yet. She had hoped to be the last to arrive so she wouldn't have to explain what she and Angel had been fighting about. She warily looked at the A.I. members who were present. Luckily, Angel gingerly walked in before anyone could ask.

Buffy caught the way the dark vampire eased himself into a chair. "What's wrong with you? I know I didn't hurt you that bad."

Angel winced as he pressed his hand against his stomach. "Ah, no you didn't."

The blond studied him carefully. "Then how did you get hurt?"

"It's nothing," he said, waving his hand as if to dismiss the topic. He turned to Fred and Wesley, "So what did..."

"Don't ignore me," Buffy said as she got out of her seat and crossed the room. "What happened?"

He glared at her. "It's none of your business."

She gave him a look that clearly said that she didn't believe him. Instead of asking again, she pulled up his shirt and peeled back the bandage. Her eyes hardened as she looked at the three stab wounds.

"Buffy..."

The slayer roughly put the bandage back in place and pulled his shirt down. She stalked back to her seat, then turned to Fred and Wesley. "Well?"

The former watcher hesitated only slightly before replying, "Fred and I performed the spell flawlessly and the result was positive."  
"Which means?"

"Your instincts were correct, there is a hellmouth."

Buffy sat there in silence as the decision was made. She began making mental notes of things she was going to have to take care of.

After several moments, Fred gently touched the slayer's knee. "Buffy," she said softly.

She shook herself out of her thoughts and turned to look at the Texan. "What?"

"What do you plan to do?"

"Obviously I have to stay. Someone has to keep an eye on it, and I am the chosen one," Buffy answered dryly.

"Do you want to call the x-men and tell them?" Wesley asked.

"No, not yet," Buffy said as she stood up. "I've got some things to take care of first." Then she quickly left the room.

"I think she took that well," Gunn said to no one in particular.

********

Logan could smell her coming before he heard her. He knew by the amount of power she was radiating that she wasn't happy. He looked up from the papers he was reading in time for her to kick open his door.

Without saying a word, she slammed her fist into his face. "How dare you?"

He jumped to his feet, "What?"

"How dare you interfere with my life?"

"I didn't."  
"I saw what you did to Angel!"

"How did..."

"Who else can put three stab wounds equally spaced like that? You expect me to believe that he just ran into a random knife three times?"

"That had nothing to do with you!"

"That's a load of crap! I don't need you to protect me!"

"I wasn't!"  
"I can take care of myself! I don't need someone to watch over me, or beat up my ex-boyfriends! She screamed as she stepped to him.

"Bullshit! You're wasting away! You may be able to defend yourself, but like hell can you take care of yourself!"  
"Oh, and you decided to step into that role?"

"Someone had to!"  
"I never asked you to!"  
"You didn't have to! I did it willingly!"

"Well stop it!"  
"No!"

Buffy dropped her voice to a low whisper, "Stay the hell out of my life. I don't need you."  
"You may not need _me_, but you sure as hell need someone!" He yelled as she stormed out the door.

*********

The slayer tromped through the cemetery muttering darkly to herself. "Stupid boy..." even though she knew the boy she was referring to was a full-grown man. "What gave him the right...stupid boy." She kicked an offending tombstone.

"Just because you cry on his shoulder a couple of times he thinks he has to protect you! I'm the slayer!"

A scrawny vampire chose that moment to jump out at her. He growled menacingly at the unimpressed blond.

"Do you mind? I'm in the middle of a rant her!" The vampire's look of confusion was lost on her as she staked him.

"Where was I? Oh yeah, I'm the slayer. I'm the one who does the protecting. I even got an umbrella to prove it."

She walked in silence for several minutes. She paused to consider a new grave, but since she didn't sense any demon presence she continued on her way.

"Stupid Angel...just had to come and cause problems....all he ever does...stupid vampire.." A scream could be heard to her left. "Stupid destiny," she muttered as she ran towards it.

Buffy got there in time to see a large vampire going in for the kill. "She's not the one you want. I'm tastier."

The brutish vampire turned to look at her. "You're barely big enough for a snack."

"Hey! I'll have you know that I have plenty of blood and it's mighty tasty!" Buffy had no clue why she was arguing this with a strange vampire.

"A gentle breeze could blow you away. So why don't you run along and starve yourself some more you twig."

She was momentarily stunned and could only stand there with her mouth hanging open. Then, seeing red, she closed her mouth with an audible click and shoved her stake into his heart. "I may be small, but I still dusted your fat ass," she retorted as his dust settled to the ground.

His victim was still huddled against the wall of the alley. Buffy turned to her, "go home and walk in a group at night if you want to live." The girl just took off. "You're welcome!" Buffy yelled after her. "Ungrateful..."

Buffy continued on her way and started muttering again. "Stupid boy...always feeding me...I eat! A lot! ...am not a twig...stupid boy with his stupid good looks and stupid muscles and his stupid bad boy persona...am so over that...stupid boy..."

********

The next morning Logan stood outside Buffy's door. He could hear her inside muttering something about a stupid boy and that she wasn't a twig. He rapped sharply on the door and he could hear her stop talking.

They both stood there in silence for several long minutes, each one hoping for something different. Logan finally said, "I know you're in there Buffy. I heard ya talking and I can smell ya."  
"Go away. I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat, now come on."

"I said go away."  
"Buffy!"

"Logan! Just go away! I am more than capable of knowing whether or not I'm hungry!"

He could tell by her scent that she was rapidly getting angry so tried a different tract, "At least come down and sit with us. The blue elf will miss you."

"Kurt will be fine. Fred will be there."

He hesitated before asking, "What about me?"

Logan could smell her anger flare up as she said, "I don't want to talk to you!"

"You can't still be mad about yesterday!"

"Yes, I can. Now go away!"

He sighed and realized that he wasn't going to be able to change her mind. He sullenly headed down the hallway.

Logan inwardly cursed his instincts that had caused him to challenge Angel. He had unintentionally done the same thing she had yelled at the vampire for doing - not letting her take care of her problems.

Although he hadn't lied to Angel about it being about him, at least he didn't think he had. From the moment he had set his eyes on Angel, he wanted to pound his face. However, that could have been caused by his knowledge of the vampire's past with the tiny slayer. He knew he was going to have to do something to make her forgive him.

Buffy slowly relaxed as she felt Logan leave the immediate range of her senses. Since she had a chance to calm down a bit, she had to admit that Angel had somewhat deserved it. Although, it should have come from her and not Logan.

At the moment though, she had bigger worries. Whether she wanted to admit it to herself or not, what the vampire had said last night bothered her. She had always been petite because of her high metabolism, but she had never thought of herself as anorexic. After all, she did eat. But here was this random vampire telling her that she needed to eat, not to mention Logan was always shoving food in her mouth.

She crossed to the full-length mirror in her room and took a good look at herself. Her elbows were a little pointier than they had been before. She lifted up the hem of her shirt and discovered that she could count all of her ribs. She thought back and was startled to remember, that until recently she barely ate one meal a day.

The blond scrunched up her nose when she realized that Logan had been right. She was wasting away. 

********

Before she knew it, she sensed Logan at her door again. He stood there for what seemed like forever before walking away. She looked at the clock and was surprised to see that it was lunchtime.

Buffy sighed and hoped she hadn't irreparably destroyed her friendship with the man. On some subconscious level she was drawn to the reticent man and she hated the thought of no longer being able to talk to him.

Her stomach growled, indicating its displeasure of skipping breakfast. She marveled at how eating three steady meals a day for nearly a week had changed her body's eating schedule.

She rose to her feet and headed to the dining room. The moment she entered the room she felt his eyes on her. She studiously ignored him and scanned the room for an empty seat. She saw one on the other side of the room next to Xavier. 

The blond smiled cheerfully and walked over to the head of the school. "Can I sit with you?"

He looked up at her and smiled warmly. "Of course you may, my dear." After she sat down and began putting food on her plate, he leaned over and asked, "What aren't you sitting with Logan and Kurt?"

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "Wolvie and I had an argument."

"Are you going to let him know that you've forgiven him?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Been reading my mind? Cause I gotta say, I don't like it."

"Not really. I can't read you, Angel, Lorne, or even your friend Clem. I think it has something to do with the demon."

"Then how did you know?"

"While I can't read your exact thoughts, I do know you're no longer upset with him."

She sighed lightly. "Yeah, but I'm going to make him suffer a little longer. If I forgive him immediately then he thinks it's ok to go and do it again."

"Very sound thinking."

"Thank you. We need to have a meeting tonight about the spell."

"That shouldn't be a problem."  
Logan watched her from across the room. He felt strangely relieved to see her smiling and eating. He found it hard to pay attention to the conversation around him. He couldn't stop himself from looking her over to make sure she was ok. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the barely noticeable weary set to her shoulders.

"Logan," Fred said, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

She followed where his gaze was and gave him a soft smile. "She's not an easy person to understand."

"Or get close to," Wesley added. "She's rather stubborn."

"I've noticed," Logan said flatly.

"But if you're patient and stubborn yourself, you'll find the woman beneath the slayer. Only one other person has really been able to do that."

"Angel?" Logan asked with a slight sneer.

"No, Spike."

He could only nod in absent thought as he continued to watch the young woman who had so easily captured his attention.


	12. Twelve

Whoo Hoo! A chapter for a late Christmas present! I have no clue when the next chapter will be up. I just got back from seeing Return of The King and it is fanning the fire for my other fic. Although my muse is starting to churn for this one again.

Please forgive any typos!

****

A/N: You learn about Logan's past in this chapter. For those who follow the comic, I didn't use what was out there. This is from movie canon so I had free reign on what I created. So no emails about this not being like the comic, I'll just ignore them. You should read author's notes, we put them here for a reason. Also, you'll notice I used some things from comic and movie. I created my own background for him so that it fitted what I needed for the construct of my tale.

****

Review Responses:

Claddagh, Kilea859, jammies2000, dancetdplc, boo23, Belladonna4, Dawnlady, Kristy Marie, Kyra2, miz, Anne, thank you guys so much for the reviews!

Lisette, my ending of season seven was different from the show. Angel never showed up in Sunnydale with the amulet. And you know how Buffy is, she sometimes blows things way out of proportion before coming back down. She'll move on, trust me. And as for LOTR, yes, the elves were great and it doesn't stop me from enjoying the movie. And thank god he didn't have Arwen at Helm's Deep, I think they overplay her role as it is (especially after just watching ROTK). But nothing was worse than what they did to Faramir. Poor guy, loved him in the books. Sigh, oh well. But I did thoroughly enjoy Return of the King, despite the changes they made (which were not as bad as Two Towers I thought). Ok, going to stop now before I get on a roll and I know not everyone has seen the movie yet...

Catlimere, I swear I was going to email a response and one thing led to another and I never got to it. Leave as long of a review as you want, I don't mind. Especially when they are as good as yours. And have no fear, I have a friend who yells at me for discussing the finer points of the show. Oh well, she just doesn't get it. I hope I answered your questions in this chapter. (and yes, I enjoyed Spike telling the Scoobies off also, that's my baby!)

Dreamweaver, I checked the chapter and it was fine, you may have skipped part of it or something. There's the whole landing of the jet, Cyclops and the bike, Buffy asking Scott about his life before where you picked up. Try checking it again.

My reviewers just kick ass! Whoo Hoo! Thank you guys!

Chapter Twelve

Late the next morning found Buffy outside taking a walk with Wesley. She was still avoiding Logan. When she had come down to breakfast that morning, he was sitting with Rogue and Bobby, which left her free to sit with Kurt. She had to admit that she had missed the elf the day before because of her avoidance of Logan, for she had also eaten dinner the night before with the professor.

She was amazed at how easily the x-men had accepted the truth about the hellmouth. Buffy hated that she was the cause of more danger in their lives. The mutants had enough problems of their own without her adding hers on top. However, she also knew that it was necessary for them to be aware of the added dangers in their town.

Buffy could tell by the way Wesley had his face scrunched up that he was trying to find the best way to approach an unpleasant subject. In the month following the closing of the hellmouth, Buffy had grown close to both Wesley and Fred. She had been pleasantly surprised to learn that Wesley had changed from the stiff, formal idiot into a warm, compassionate friend.

Fred had befriended her first. It was impossible not to like the Texan. She was so open and caring that Buffy had been drawn to her without realizing it. The slayer had told Fred how much Spike had meant to her and she was sure that the brunette had told Wesley, her boyfriend. For after that, Wesley always had a friendly and gentle word or smile for her. While they weren't filled with pity, they shone with sympathy.

It hadn't taken her long to become fairly close to the couple, so it wasn't hard for her to read the former watcher. "Out with it Wesley," she said after several long moments.

He regarded her before saying, "Buffy, I'm afraid you're not going to like what I have to say."

She rolled her eyes. "I can tell that already. Why don't you just say whatever it is and I'll try to stay calm."

Wesley sighed. "I have some concerns about the hellmouth."

"Like what?" She asked curiously.

"It's not that I don't think you can't handle the demon slaying." He ignored Buffy's snort. "But there are other dangers that the hellmouth presents that you may not be able to handle on your own."

"Ok, umm, really not following you here, Wesley."

"Magic."

"Magic?"

"Yes. Buffy you know from previous experience that sometimes magic is needed to aid in the prevention of an apocalypse."  
"Alright, I'll learn magic."

"Buffy, it's not that simple. While some slayers can perform rudimentary spells, most are unable to any magic whatsoever. It has something to do with how the original watchers made the first slayer."

"So what are you saying?"

"And it's not just the magic, Buffy. You've never really been strong in the research area."

Buffy glared at him. "I can read you know."

"I'm not implying that you are not intelligent. It's just that before, you had a team to back you up."

The slayer was definitely not liking where the conversation was heading. "Wesley, slayers for generations before me," she said in an even tone, "seemed to do just fine on their own. I don't need a team."

"But Buffy, even they had their watchers. You no longer have that option."  
"Then what are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting that you allow me to call in some people to help you out. I have several friends who are proficient in magic and research."  
"No," Buffy said firmly. "I don't want to bring any more people into this than are necessary."  
"Buffy, you wouldn't be bringing them into it, they're already involved. Many of them I've known since my days as a watcher."  
She shook her head. "And look where that got the Watcher's Council. No Wesley, I got my last team killed and they were my best friends in the whole world. I don't want to jeopardize anymore people."  
"Buffy..."

"NO! That's final!" Then she stalked back into the mansion.

********

Logan stood uncertainly outside of the professor's door. He had been standing there for several minutes trying to decide if he really wanted to go in.

He had finished reading all of the information contained in the envelope and found he needed to talk to someone. He had ruled out Rogue because despite what she had been through, she was still just a kid. Plus, he didn't want to burden her with his past. He had hoped to talk to Buffy, but she was still mad at him.

The only other person left that he felt comfortable enough to talk to was Charles. He sighed softly and raised his hand to knock on the door. But before he hit it, Xavier's voice could be heard through the door. "Come it, Logan."

Logan growled as he opened the door. "Wish you wouldn't do that. It's creepy."

"I apologize, Logan. Please come in, have a seat."

He gently closed the door behind him and took a seat.

"What seems to be the trouble?"

The gruff mutant didn't say anything for a minute. "Buffy had her friends do some investigating for me."

"Did she really?" Xavier asked in surprise.

Logan nodded. "It's amazing how much they found out. I'm just wondering if it is true or not. I was hoping we could compare the bits you saw in my head to the info they found."

Xavier smiled at him and said, "That shouldn't be a problem."  
******

After spending two hours talking with the professor, Logan headed up to his bedroom to wash up for dinner. He could hear Buffy moving in her room and decided to chance it. He knocked softly on her door and he heard her stop and smelled her tension.

"I don't want to talk, Buffy. I just wanted to say thank you."

There was silence for a few seconds and then her door cracked open to reveal one eye peering out. "For what?"

"The envelope."

"Did it help?"

"Yes. More than you could ever imagine."

"You're welcome." Then she shut the door softly.

__

Well, he thought, _it's an improvement. At least she spoke to me._

********

That night, Wesley called another meeting between the x-men and Angel Investigations. Once everyone had gathered in the professor's office, Angel spoke up, "Gunn, Lorne and I will be leaving in a few hours to return to L.A. We did what we came here to do and we're needed back home."

Logan couldn't help but feel elated at the news of the vampire's departure.

Buffy just nodded her head in the acceptance of Angel's decision. The vampire had given her space for the past two days and she was thankful for it. While she wasn't sure if her and Angel could ever be close friends again, she hoped that one day they would at least be friends.

The professor turned to Wesley and Fred, "What do the two of you have planned?"

Wesley said, "Fred and I would like to stay and do a little more investigating. There are several more things I want to check out while we're already here. We would like to stay in the mansion if that is all right with you."

Xavier nodded. "That is fine. You are more than welcome to stay as long as you need. The same for you Buffy." He paused before saying, "Actually, since you will already be staying in town for a while, I would like to offer you a job."

Buffy looked startled for a moment. "Excuse me?"

"I would like for you and Logan to stay at the school and teach self-defense to the students. I believe it would benefit them in the event that they come into contact with any demons or vampires."

Logan shrugged, "Sure, I guess I could teach a bunch of munchkins."

Buffy fought to suppress a smirk at Logan's comment as she thought the prospect over. Originally she had planned on buying a small house in town to stay at, but staying at the school seemed a better alternative. They already had equipment for her to workout with and not to mention giving the kids a chance to learn to defend themselves so that hopefully they wouldn't face the same problems that her fellow classmates had in Sunnydale.

After another moment she said, "Sure, why not."

Logan felt a tremor of excitement in his stomach at the prospect of working with the beautiful slayer everyday. He had been so worried that she would leave them - to leave _him_, that it almost felt like relief to know she was staying at the mansion.

The meeting broke shortly after that so Angel, Gunn and Lorne could finish their packing.

After mulling it over, Buffy decided to talk to Angel. She rapped on his door and then entered without waiting for a response.

Angel looked up from his suitcase in surprise. "Yes?"

She stood there shifting her weight from foot to foot. "I don't want you to leave thinking that I hate you."

"I don't think that you..."

"Yes, you do," she interrupted.

"Ok. Maybe I thought it a little," he admitted.

"It's just," she began. "It's just that... that you... and then you... You know?"

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get it now."

"It's just going to take me a while to completely forgive you. It's just that so many things have piled up between us that I'm not sure if I can ever fully forgive you."  
Angel nodded sadly. "I'm not even sure if I can forgive myself."

"Because of Connor?"

He smiled grimly. "Yeah. I still love him even though he doesn't know that I exist."

"It's a burden you're gonna have to carry for the rest of your life, you know."

"I know." He just hung his head in silence.

"Well... Safe trip and all."

"Thanks. Take care of yourself, Buffy." Angel said, looking up.

"I will," she said. "It's not like I have much of a choice around here anyway."

The vampire sighed. "This Logan guy... I'm not sure he's right for you."

Angel," she said warningly.

"I don't mean that as an order. I just... worry. I'm not going to interfere."

"Good. Cause Logan is my business and we're nothing more than friends anyway."  
He stared at her in disbelief, then he slightly shrugged. 

Buffy's face softened. "I really hope Cordelia wakes up soon."

"Me too."

Then Buffy turned and left the room.

*******

I was quite late when Buffy returned from patrolling that night. She realized she had a serious craving for some ice cream so she headed to the kitchen before going to bed.

She opened the freezer and was surprised by the many different flavors contained inside. The slayer was so busy in her search of the perfect flavor that she didn't sense Logan walk into the room.

"Buffy," he said softly.

The tiny blond jumped and turned to face him, putting her hand over her heart. "Jesus, you scared me!"

He looked slightly surprised. "Didn't think it was possible to sneak up on the slayer."

She shrugged. "It's easy enough when she's contemplating her choices of ice cream."

"Ah."

Buffy went back to her perusal before pulling out a carton of Edy's Snickers ice cream. Knowing that she and Logan were going to have to have some sort of professional relationship in order to teach the children, and the fact she was no long mad at him, she turned to Logan and asked, "Want some, Wolvie?"  
A corner of his mouth quirked up slightly for a second at her use of her special nickname for him. "Sure," he said as he went to a cupboard and grabbed two bowls.

She looked strangely at the bowls and then giggled. "Yeah, not exactly my house. Probably shouldn't eat directly out of the carton, huh."

He grinned. "Probably not the greatest idea." As she scooped out the ice cream, he asked, "Busy night?"

Buffy shrugged. "Not too bad, four vamps and one pathetic little demon. All in all a pretty slow night."

Logan just nodded his head absently.

"How about yourself?" She asked as she put the lid back on the carton and put it back into the freezer. "Been ok these past couple of days?"

"I've been looking through that envelope."  
"And?" She asked as she sat down and started eating.

"It was helpful."  
"I knew that. What I meant was, are you willing to share or do you still need time to take it all in?"

He explained that he had spoken to the professor earlier that day.

"You actually let that man inside your head?" She asked in amazement.

Logan shrugged. "I was desperate. It's been around fifteen years since I woke of with no memory of my past."

Buffy whistled. "I didn't realize it had been that long. I'm sorry."

"It's ok," he said. "Apparently I'm older than I look."

"How much older?"

"I'm one hundred and twenty-four years old."

"That means you were born in..." She scrunched up her nose as she tried to do the math.

"1880. August 16, 1880 to be exact."

"They found your birth certificate?" She asked excitedly.

"You're talking to Jonathan Caleb Logan from the wilds of Canada."

"Ooh, I could call you Johnny." Then she thought it over and shook her head. "Nah, think I'll stick with Wolvie."

"Good. Not sure I feel like a Johnny."

"So what else did you learn?"

"There wasn't much about my early years, just random photos and whatnot."

"Are you remembering anything?"

"Some. The more I read I got flashes, some of them fairly long. They just don't have any emotion behind them. It's kinda like watchin' a movie."

"I'm sure there will be more," she said encouragingly.

"Let's see. I joined the Canadian army when I was thirty-four and fought in the First World War. I received a couple of medals. Then I was an officer in the second war. There are a lot of things I remember from then, mostly battles."

"Wow, both wars."

"Then I did a short stint in Korea."

"Wait! Didn't they question the fact that you never looked older?"

"Dunno. It's all down as me, and I remember some of it."

"Gangs on pcp," she muttered.

"What?"

"People will make things up so that they stay unaware of the truth. The people in Sunnydale believed gangs on pcp instead of vampires caused all the trouble."

"It's amazing isn't it?"

They silently ate their ice cream for a few minutes. "So then what?" Buffy finally asked.

"Then I gathered intelligence for the U.S. during Vietnam. That's where I met a guy named William Stryker. He was in a unit I was assigned to. I think we may have been friends. Anyway, I know he found out about my healing abilities."

"How?"

"It wasn't in the envelope, but I clearly remember it. I got seriously injured and we were pinned in. Help wasn't able to reach us for hours and he thought I was going to die. But by the time the choppers reached us I was fine. I made him swear not to tell. I left the army shortly after that.

"That was in '69. I kind of wandered for a bit after that. I got married in 1974 to Jennifer Louise Davisson. We lived in a small mining town where I worked. We had a baby girl in '78 and a boy in '81." He grew silent.

"Where are they now?" She asked.

"Dead."

"What? How?"

"In late '83, Stryker found me. I remember he wanted me to reenlist, something about a Weapon X. I told him I was a family man now and didn't want to go back to that life. He was upset, but he left. Then shortly after New Years, while I was at work, my house burned to the ground..."

"Along with your family," Buffy finished softly.

"Yeah. A few months later I reenlisted and joined the Weapon X project, never knowing that I was the weapon."

"The adelaide skeleton."

He chuckled darkly. "Yeah, the adamantium skeleton and the claws. All the research notes say they brainwashed me so I could become the perfect weapon."

Buffy put their bowls in the sink and then sat back down across from him. "At least you know now."

"I know I killed my family."

"No, you didn't. The fire did."

"Stryker had them killed so I would reenlist," he nearly bellowed.

She reached out and grasped his hand, forcing him to look her in the eye. "That doesn't mean you killed them. Stryker is a bastard who should be shot."

"Too late."

"Huh?"

"The reports say I killed him and the doctors when I escaped."  
"Then you've exacted your revenge."

"Doesn't mean I feel better."

"Revenge never does."


	13. Thirteen

Happy New Years to everyone! I hope everything is going well for you guys! Mine isn't too bad, although, sadly, I go back to work on Monday. *sighs* Ah well, three weeks off was enough for me.

As for the reviews, a lot of you said you had problems reviewing for chapter 12, that it kept telling you that you had already reviewed. I don't know what's up with that, but I noticed on the main page that they said they corrected the problem. So hopefully, you guys won't have a problem this time.

Plato, RookRaven, miz, Thought, Harm Marie, Silver Warrior, CinnamonGrrl, charmedfanatic3000, thank you guys so much for your reviews!

Catlimere, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I had to let her clear the air with Angel, at least somewhat. He was the first love of her life and I think you always leave a special place in your heart for them no matter what. Not to say you don't move on, but it's there none the less. As much as I love Fred and Wesley, they won't be permanent parts of the story, but they'll be around for at least a few more chapters. You'll see why in this chapter.

Lisette, I agree with the whole Arwen thing. I'm also not a big fan of Liv Tyler so it made things even worse. When I saw the movie there were a lot of people in the theatre and I had to keep telling myself to not ruin the movie for everyone else by yelling at the screen. I missed both the twins and the Dunedain, not to mention the House of Healing, but then there are things to be cut because of time constraints, so I sort of understood. Doesn't necessarily mean I was happy about it, but I understood. And I just love scruffy men, (hence my attraction to both Aragorn and Wolverine), not that I don't see where Legolas is good looking, he's just lacking in something. And I totally agree about Wesley over Angel. I'm currently having trouble liking Angel this season. Although, that could be the fact that Spike just distracts me, oh those cheekbones....

manticore-gurl071134, the dates for Logan's children's births were just coincidentally near Buffy's. I was going on the timeline that it had been fifteen years since he had started searching (according to Xavier in the first movie) and I wanted the kids young when they died. I wanted him to volunteer because he had nothing else to live for.

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A/N: Please remember that X2 never happened and will never happen in this story. I just used Stryker's name because it was easier than thinking one up (I'm horrible at making up names). So yes, I know the timeline is different than the one in X2.

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A/N2: This chapter is a little talky, so I apologize in advance. But I have to set some things up. But as a bonus, there's a little action at the end. 

Chapter Thirteen

The x-men were gathered in the conference room in one of the lower levels of the mansion the morning after Angel had left. Buffy, Fred, and Wesley were with them.

"I've called you here to begin teaching you on how to deal with the new dangers in your town," Wesley began. "Buffy can handle things, but there may be times when she may not be with you or is dealing with another problem."

"Usually the safest thing to do is to get away as fast as possible. But, of course, you guys have an advantage over normal humans so you're not exactly in the same amount of danger as the rest of us. Not that I can't always hold my own, it's just that..."

"Fred, dear, you're babbling again," Wesley said with a soft smile.

"Oh, sorry," she said.

"You've all seen what a vampire looks like while the demon face is present. What is harder is deciphering whether or not it is a vampire while it is wearing its human mask."

"Some of the easier ways are the way they dress," Buffy said. "Most vampires have a hard time following fashion."

"That is caused by having a harder time shopping and their inability to use a mirror," Fred explained.

"Angel blends in well, and Spike did too. But Druscilla, Angel's childe and Spike's sire, always had a Victorian flair. I've never seen her in pants and she wears lacy dresses and laced up boots."

"Childe? Sire?" Jean asked.

"Vampires have families. When a vampire creates another, for example when Angel created Druscilla, he became the sire and she the childe," Wesley explained.

"A couple of general rules to follow is not to invite anyone in after dark. This isn't to say not to have people over after dark, just don't verbally invite them in. Make sure the students are home before dark. Or if they are out at night that they travel in groups," Fred told them.

"And don't assume that just because it is light outside that the vampires and demons are trapped wherever they are. They can travel by sewers and even short distances in the open. Spike frequently carried a blanket to cover himself with for exactly that reason," Buffy said. "Not to mention they can black out the windows of cars to drive during the day."

"I've noticed that most of this is concentrated on vampires rather than demons. Why is that?" Xavier asked.

"For several reasons," Wesley said. "The first being that vampires are more common and need blood to survive. The second being that demons rarely concern themselves with human affairs since it is harder for them to blend in."

"Do they ever team up?" Scott asked.

"Only on rare occasions. Vampires and demons on a whole usually stay away from each other."

"Didn't you say vampires _were_ demons?" Logan asked.

"Vampires are demons that animate a dead human body. But the more traditional demons look upon them as a lower life-form," Wesley explained.

"Really?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, it's all there in the slayer handbook."

"Oh, that would explain it. I never got the handbook."

"Surely, you're jesting?"

"Nope. I know that it talks about my secret identity and no family or friends. The only reason why I know that is because of Kendra."

"I find it hard to believe that Giles never gave you a copy."

Buffy shrugged. "He said I was a special case. I probably would have thrown it away anyways. You know how much I just _love_ to follow rules."

"Yes, well...back to demons. You have met both Lorne and Clem so you know that not all demons are evil. Some demons are on our side, others just live peaceful lives, some are here to keep the balance, and then there are those out to wreak havoc and destruction. They frequently fight amongst themselves."

"How do we tell the difference?" Ororo asked in her softly accented voice.

"You don't," Buffy said. "Don't fight them unless they attack you, and even then I would prefer that you just run."

"You're takin' the fun out of it, darlin'," Logan said.

"That's me, the fun-sucker," she said darkly.

*********

Buffy went looking for Rogue after lunch. She found the girl in her room quietly reading.

"What 'cha doin'?" Buffy asked.

"Nothin'."

"You wouldn't happen to know how to drive would you?"

"Yes, I have my license. Why?"

"Want to go shopping?" Buffy asked.

"I don't have any money."  
"I'll take care of it. Want to come?"

Rogue seemed to think it over, and then smiled and said, "Sure."

The two girls quickly made their way to the mall. Rogue noticed that the slayer seemed more relaxed and smiled easier as they walked to the different stores.

"Ya really like shopping, huh?" Rogue asked.

"Love it. It's been a while since I've been able to do any. Not big on exposed skin are you?"  
"No one explained mah mutation ta ya, did they?"

"No."

"Whenever mah skin touches someone else's, I absorb their life force. I can't control it."

"But you're dating Bobby right?"

"Yeah."

"Then how do you guys smooch and stuff?"

"We don't," Rogue said quietly.

Buffy just nodded in understanding.

"Sometimes I think it's not fair ta him. That I should let him go so he can be with someone who he can touch. What do ya think?"

The slayer looked around and pulled the girl into a quiet part of the store. "Rogue, I'm really not a good person to go to for relationship advice. All of mine ended in the guys dying or leaving me."

"I'm sorry."

"But I can tell you this. Let him decide what is fair. If he loves you, loves you enough, touching you won't matter. If he wants to be with you, then let him."

Rogue stared at her with wide eyes. "Why did Angel leave ya?"

"What? How did you know?"

"Ya mentioned it when ya sparred with him."

Buffy closed her eyes and sighed. When she reopened them they were full of an old pain that seemed to no longer haunt her. "I'm only going to explain this once and only because you'll understand."

"Okay."

"Angel was my first love. We made love on my seventeenth birthday and it released his cursed soul. He became Angelus and terrorized the town. He killed one of my teachers and tortured my watcher before I was able to kill him."

Rogue made a move to question her but Buffy held up her hand to stop her. "Don't interrupt. He came back with his soul several months later. We dated again, but he left me because of the restrictions on his soul. Said it wasn't fair to me that we couldn't have a physical relationship.

"But what he didn't understand was the sex wasn't what mattered, that I just wanted to be with him. I've resented him for the decision ever since."

"I understand," Rogue said softly. "The first boy I ever kissed ended up in a coma for three weeks.

Buffy smiled grimly. "I guess so." Then she forced a smile on her face. "Now let's do some serious shopping."

"But the money..."

"Relax, I have plenty. I'm in the mood for something pretty. How about you?"

"Pretty is good."

They spent a couple of hours of shopping. By the time they were finished, their hands were full of bags.

"Hungry?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah. I'm in the mood for something greasy."

After filling their trays with fries and hamburgers they found a table to set their bags down and rest.

"How long have you known Logan?" Buffy asked.

"Just a coupla' months."

"Really?" Buffy asked in surprise. "You guys are awfully close."  
"I had run away from home cause of mah mutation," Rogue said. "I was in Canada and saw him in a bar fightin'."  
"Big surprise there."

Rogue chuckled. "Yeah, well, I stowed away in his trailer, but he found me. Then for some reason he let me stay. We were attacked shortly after that and he was badly injured. Mr. Summers and Miss Munroe saved us. One of the first things he asked about when he woke up was about me."

"Huh, kind of odd isn't it? I mean, he doesn't seem to like most people, especially Scott and Angel."

"I think he respects Scott, he just likes ta give him a hard time 'cause he's so reserved and he's dating Miss Grey."

"What does Jean have to do with it?"

"Cause Logan liked her," Rogue said simply.

Buffy felt a weight plummet to the bottom of her stomach and had to force herself to swallow her food. "Logan likes Jean?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Used to," Rogue corrected and Buffy could feel the tightness in her chest release. "I noticed he's hardly paid her any attention since he got back."

"Oh."

**********

Wesley was alone in the room that he shared with Fred doing some research that night. His girlfriend was off with Jean talking about genetics or something, he wasn't quite sure. The depths and quickness of her mind never ceased to amaze him. She could take a complex theory that no one should be able to understand and easily explain it to anyone in just a few words.

He shook himself out of his wondering thoughts and back to the papers in front of him. Only he was interrupted by a knock at his door.

"Come in," he called, not looking up.

"We're not botherin' ya, are we Mr. Pryce?" Rogue asked as she poked her head in.

"Not at all, Rogue. Come in, and please, call me Wesley."  
She opened the door further and she and Bobby walked in. They closed the door behind them and stood nervously in the middle of the room.

"Please, have seat." The two young mutants sat on the edge of the bed. "What can I do for you?"

"Mr. Pryce..." Rogue began.

"Wesley, please."

"Wesley, I don't want ya ta think that we eavesdropped on purpose yesterday, it was all by accident."

"What are you talking about?"

"Yesterday, when you were talking to Buffy," Bobby said.

"We were just wondering what you meant by her having a team," Rogue said.

"One of the most important things about being a slayer is their anonymity. The slayers worked alone with their watchers for thousands of years. But Buffy was different. She had two classmates who discovered her secret and decided to help. They both helped with any research and Willow became a very powerful witch. Over the years the number of people who helped grew."  
"Why are they no longer helping?" Rogue asked.

Wesley sighed. "A little over a year ago they died in a battle with something called the First."

"The first what?"

"The First Evil. And ancient, unstoppable power."

"You mentioned watchers. Who are they?" Bobby asked.

"The watchers were an organization who trained the slayers. I was Buffy's watcher for a short period of time before I was fired."  
"Why doesn't Buffy have one now?"

"For several reasons," Wesley said. "The council headquarters was destroyed by the First. Most of those who lived no longer wanted to live that life. Then, of course, there is very little left to teach her."

The two students were silent for a few minutes and then shared a look before turning back to Wesley. "We want ta help her," Rogue stated.

"What?"

"We want ta help her research and learn magic so she's not alone."

"She won't allow it."

"So?" Rogue said with a shrug. "We'll help her whether she wants us to or not. But we don't know where ta start."  
"What does Professor Xavier think of this?" Wesley asked hoping to deter them.

"It's not really his decision to make, it's ours. Wesley, we're going to help no matter what. It'll just be easier if we had help in learning," Bobby said firmly.

"Very well."

************

The next two weeks passed quickly. Wesley arranged for all of Giles old books to be shipped to the mansion along with anything else he could get his hands on. The Professor had set aside a room to become the demon library. Rogue and Bobby began learning about the rigors of research and Wesley found a witch named Renee to teach them about magic. So far, Buffy had no clue.

Buffy and Logan easily fell back into their friendship. They devised a course outline for their class and tested all the students so they could divide them into groups of the same experience levels. They were slightly surprised when Bobby and Rogue asked for extra sessions but agreed to do them.

They had just finished one such session and the two students left the danger room. Buffy looked appreciatively at Logan. The thin cotton of his t-shirt left very little to the imagination. She could easily see the outline of his taut muscles.

Forcing her mind from dirty thoughts she said, "Want to spar? All the vampires this week were pathetic, I need a challenge."

Logan grinned. "Sure. I could do with a good workout." He caught a whiff of her scent changing and that was all the warning he received before she attacked.

Knowing that the other could handle whatever they dished out, they held nothing back. They took turns trying to pound each other into the ground. It didn't take long for huge smiles to break out on their faces.

He couldn't help but notice that her ribs no longer protruded from underneath her skin. All she was wearing was a sports bra and sweat pants that hung low on her hips. Logan was pleased to see that she was finally getting some meat back on her bones. Not enough to satisfy him, but at least it was a start.

Buffy took advantage of his momentary distraction and knocked him flat on his back. She quickly straddled his hips and pinned him down. "I win," she said with a grin.

"You think, huh?"

"No, I know." Then she did something that took him totally by surprise. She tickled him.

Logan was ashamed to admit it, but he was extremely ticklish and somehow she had found out. His laughter echoed through the danger room as she mercilessly attacked his sides.

He grabbed her hands and rolled them over so that their positions were switched. He held her there as their laughter died down.

When they had finally calmed, Logan realized his face was only inches from hers. She was flushed and strands of her blond hair clung to her forehead. Her breathing was still slightly heavy and he could feel her barely touch him with each inhale.

Logan breathed deeply and smelled her femininity and her power. Before he knew what he was doing, he closed the distance and kissed her passionately.

She responded immediately by kissing him back just as fiercely. Her hands somehow found their way underneath his shirt and she lightly scratched her nails down his back, causing him to shiver with pleasure.

A loud knock at the door interrupted them and he pulled back to look at her. Guilt, lust, and confusion swam through her eyes until fear overrode them. She suddenly shoved him off of her and ran out the door.


	14. Fourteen

Hi guys! I know it's been a while, but my muse is going nuts. I've written a chapter for each of my four WIPs this week. Spring Break starts in a week and I plan on spending the entire week doing nothing but writing so the next update should be soon.

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A/N: The way Buffy and at one point Logan dance around the conversation was inspired partly by a scene in the movie Silverado. I kind of took it from the scene where you're first introduced to Kevin Costner's character. If you haven't seen the movie, you should cause it's really good, if you like westerns.

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Review Responses:

Stoic, RavenMerc, cyberwicca, Plato, beenieweenie, Infinity Serenity, Silver Warrior, dancetdplc, Paladin Steelbreaker, Captain Chameleon, Kyra2, alienbeing, Cataclysmic, thank you guys so much for your reviews! You guys are awesome!

Jedi Buttercup, no, I never planned on Bobby and Rogue to be Willow and Xander's replacements, cause nobody could really fill their shoes. But they were chosen cause their not part of the x-men yet so they wouldn't be dividing their alliances.

CinnamonGrrl, thank you so much for your review! I love your stuff (I'm a horrible reviewer actually, but I do read) so your comments mean a lot.

cricket, I'm really sorry to hear about your dad. You have my deepest sympathies. Losing a family member is never easy, especially in that way. And so I completely understand being withdrawn. Thank you so much for the review.

Harry2, wow, I think you reviewed every chapter along the way. Thank you so much for all of them. I'm not sure if you've read my author notes or not, but I don't know a lot about the comic book version. Everything here is from the movie which is essentially giving me a clean slate to write on. I've pulled a few things from the comics, like Cyclops' background, but that's mostly it. I also don't know of many of the other mutants, just the ones from the movies and a few others from reading fanfiction. And I know Buffy is being stubborn about the help thing, but she has hit rock bottom almost. She's going to go a little deeper before I start pulling her out of it. Just give her time.

mar, I didn't mess up on the summary. I deliberately worded it the way I did so you weren't sure from the beginning who I was talking about.

Catlimere, totally with you about Legolas looking too perfect. And by the way, I just love your reviews. It's nice to know that someone out there analyzes these things like I do. And from what I inferred, you hated Riley as much as I did. He was such a waste of space. And that was a good idea you had about Fred and Wes helping Rogue out. Might have to do some thinking....

Lisette, thank you for your suggestions on the last chapter. I'm definitely trying to keep it in mind. And as for Rogue gaining other powers, I've heard that she had others, I just don't know how she got them. I know next to nothing about the comics. So it's probably doubtful that she'll get them.

organized-chaos, first, yes I have been watching the new episodes of Angel, and last weeks really upset me. So much so that I haven't really been able to talk about it yet. Curses to Joss Whedon, he should die! Not really, but you know what I mean. As for my little goof about Buffy knowing about Rogue's mutation, I didn't catch it myself until a few weeks ago when I was going back over what I had written. You're the only one who has said anything though. I'll fix it when I go back and do the final draft after I finish writing.

My reviewers are just the best!

Special thanks to PuNKeCoWGiRL, my beta. She has put up with my multiple chapters this week.

Chapter Fourteen

Logan watched Buffy run out the door before groaning and rolling over onto his back. _What was I thinking_, he thought.

"Hello," came Kurt's softly accented voice from the door. "Is is all right if I come in, mein friend?"

"Sure elf, why not?" Logan said with a sigh.

"What was that about?" The blue mutant asked as he sat next to his friend. "Did something happen while you were training?"

"You could say that," Logan said slowly. "How upset did she look?"

"I think I may have seen tears."

Logan just groaned again and covered his eyes.

"What happened?" But Logan refused to answer; he just shook his head. "No, something's wrong with her and she's mein friend. I want to know what happened. Did you hurt her?"

The other man snorted. "Not in the way you're thinkin' kid."

"Then what did you do?"

"I kissed her," Logan answered softly.

Kurt looked confused. "And _that _made her cry?"

"No. I think something else did. But I'm not exactly sure what it was. I think Wesley and I are gonna have to talk," Logan said as he stood and headed to the door.

"She does like you," Kurt called out.

Logan stopped and turned around. "How do you figure?"  
"I can tell by the way she looks at you."

A grunt escaped Logan's lips before he walked out the door.

***********

Buffy rushed into her room and closed the door. She sank back against it. She began whispering to herself. "Pull yourself together, just pull yourself together. You're the slayer, you can do this. Just pull yourself together."

She hastily wiped the tears off her cheeks. She closed her eyes and did some slow steady breathing to calm herself. Before long she opened her eyes and was calm enough to think.

"What the hell just happened," she asked herself. "One minute we're tickling then the next we're kissing... and, and with the kissing... and the kissing... and my hand up his shirt... and, oh my god, the kissing.... We kissed."

A strange look appeared on her face. "And why am I acting like this is the first time I've ever been kissed? I've been kissed... lots of time. Me... kissed... guys... huh."

She sighed as she sank to the floor in front of her door. "It's just not right. I can't get involve him, it's too dangerous."  
Then she stopped and thought for a second. _Too dangerous for him? Oh my god, I'm doing an Angel. I'm even brooding_. She sighed. "Why can't my life be simple? Why must there always be complications?"

Buffy was still sitting there a couple of hours later contemplating what to do when there was a knock at the door. She looked up and was surprised to see it had grown dark. "Who is it?" She called out.

"It's me and Fred," came Rogue's southern voice through the door.

The slayer called out, "Just a second." She crossed to the mirror to make sure her make-up hadn't run. She opened the door and asked, "What's up?"

"We were just goin' to go out and get some ice cream. Thought you might want come," Fred said cheerily.

"Ice cream sounds yummy. Just give me a chance to change."

Once Buffy was ready, they went downstairs. They were just walking out the door when they saw Ororo.

"Hey, 'Ro. We're going out for ice cream. Wanna come?" Buffy asked.

The white haired mutant smiled and said, "Sure, can you give me a moment?"

"Not a prob," Buffy said. "We'll be out at the car."

A short time later found the four women sitting at a table outside of the local Dairy Queen. They were eagerly diving into their assorted treats.

"So what happened after Bobby and I left trainin'?" Rogue asked as she stuck a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

Buffy avoided looking at her. "What do you mean?"

"Kurt said he went down to join ya guys, but ya rushed out of the room looking upset. Somethin' go wrong?"

"Nnnooo, not exactly," Buffy said evasively.

"Then what happened?"  
"Nothing."

Ororo looked at her quizzically. "I'm sure it wasn't nothing. Kurt was really worried about you."  
A faint smile appeared on the blonde's face. "He's definitely a sweetie, that one," she said softly.

"He's not the only one who worries," Fred said. "Logan didn't look too happy when he came to get Wesley."  
Buffy looked up at her sharply. "What do you mean, 'came to get Wesley'?"

"He said he wanted to go out drinking and figured Wes was the only one around who would join him."

"So he's upset?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, so what happened?"

"Well, after you and Bobby left," Buffy said, indicating Rogue, "Logan and I decided to do some sparring of our own. So we sparred, and then I won, and then I... tickled him."

"You what?" Ororo asked in amazement.

"I tickled him. Turns out Wolvie is pretty ticklish."  
"Logan is ticklish," Ororo said slowly. When Buffy nodded a sly smile appeared on the mutant's lips. "Well now. That's a piece of information that I'll have to store away for later use."  
"But you didn't hear that from me!"

"Oh no. I didn't hear that from you," Ororo said sagely before eating a spoonful of her ice cream.

"So is he made at you for ticklin' him?" Fred asked.

"Well, not exactly. It's sort of what happened afterwards... I guess."  
"What happened?"

"We were lying there the trying to catch our breaths, and then, and then the next thing I knew, he was kissing me."

Fred squealed in delight, but Ororo looked confused. "Why would he be upset if _he_ kissed _you_?"  
"Well, because it was probably what happened after that?"  
"Which was?"  
"There was a knock at the door and suddenly I was all confused. SoIshovedhimoffofme andranoutthedoor," she said quickly.

"You what? I didn't quite catch that."

Buffy sighed. "I shoved him off of me and ran out the door. I think Kurt was at the door and I think that's why he was worried."  
"And that's why he's upset?" Rogue asked.

"I guess so," Buffy said as she shrugged her shoulders.

"But Buffy, why would ya run from him?"

"It's a long complicated story. Remember what I told you about me and guys?" The southerner nodded her head. "I didn't want him to get hurt," Buffy said softly as she took a bite of her ice cream.

Rogue sent Buffy a hard look. "So ya made the decision for him?"

"Well it's not just that, Rogue. There are other issues involved."

"Like what?" Ororo asked.

"I really don't want to talk about it," Buffy said sullenly.

Fred reached across the table and grasped Buffy's hand. "You're gonna have to let him go sometime. He wouldn't want you to live this way."  
"Who?" Rogue asked.

"I know," Buffy said. "I'm just not sure if I'm ready to move on."  
"From who?" Rogue asked.

Fred sent Buffy a questioning look and Buffy nodded her head almost imperceptively. "Spike," Fred said softly.

"The vampire with the soul?"  
The Texan nodded. "Buffy loved him and he died protecting her."

***********

Wesley looked around the bar he was sitting in with mild interest while Logan was getting their drinks. The bar wasn't large and there weren't that many people in it. But the music was playing loud enough to prevent eavesdropping but wasn't so loud that you couldn't hear yourself think.

The mutant hadn't said much since he had stopped by the Wesley and Fred's room and asked Wesley if he wanted to go out for a drink. Wesley was worried that there was something on the mutant's mind that he wanted to talk about without others being around to hear.

Logan sat Wesley's scotch down in front of him and placed his own beer on the table as he sat down.

Wesley watched as the man took a long drink from his beer. "Was there anything in particular you wanted to discuss?"  
"I need you to tell me about Buffy," the reticent man answered after a moment.

"That's a rather broad subject. What exactly would you like to know?"

"Why she would be afraid of me."  
The former watcher's face was surprised. "Why would she be afraid of you?"  
"I don't know, that's why I'm asking you."  
"Well, perhaps if you tell me the circumstances in which you came to this conclusion I would know where to start."  
"We had one of our training sessions with Bobby and Rogue."

Wesley nodded his head absently; hoping this didn't have anything to do with the kids in some roundabout way.

"Then they left and we sparred. The next thing I know she's on top of me claiming she's won and she tickles me."  
A small smile appeared on Wesley's face. "You're ticklish?"

"That's not the issue here," Logan said with a glare.

The British man put his hands up in defense. "Oh, ok. So she tickled you, but you're not ticklish."  
Logan grunted before continuing, "We were messing around and suddenly I was the one on top. Then I kissed her."

Wesley's drink stopped halfway to his mouth as he looked at Logan. "You kissed her?"

"I don't know what I was thinking," Logan said as he rubbed his face with his hand. "One minute we're laughing and the next she's laying there all beautiful like and I kiss her. There's a knock at the door and then she shoved me off." Logan leaned in close. "There was fear in her eyes and I could smell it. What could make her afraid of me?"

The other man took a drink of his scotch and then sighed. "It's not you she's afraid of, per se."

"Then what is it?"  
"It's what you could do to her."

"I wouldn't hurt her," Logan said defensively.

"Buffy hasn't exactly had to best luck when it comes to the men in her life."

"Yeah, I heard what Angel did."

"It's not just Angel," Wesley said. "Her father divorced her mother, which precipitated their move to Sunnydale. He became less and less of an influence in her life. I don't think she's heard from him since her mother died several years ago. And then you know about Angel. She dated a few other boys but none of them stayed with her for long. Buffy dated another man, Riley, seriously in college but he left her while her mother was sick claiming that she didn't love him enough or was giving him enough attention."  
A growl began forming in Logan's chest.

"She died shortly after that for the second time. I trust you know about that?"  
"Yeah. She said her friend brought her back."  
Wesley took another drink. "I'm not sure I should be telling you all of this, but I want you to understand so you don't hurt her like the others did." He paused for a moment before continuing. "When Willow brought her back something went wrong."

Logan interrupted. "She told me about waking up in her coffin and havin' to climb out." Wesley gave him an odd look. "I woke her from a nightmare about it one night."  
"Ah. But did she tell you everything?"

"No, that was it."

"Her friends thought they were saving her from a hell dimension, but they weren't. They ripped her out of heaven."  
The mutant sucked in a breath. "Her own friends did that to her?"  
"They didn't know, but Willow was cocky with her magic which came back to bite her back later on. When Buffy had come back something inside her had changed at the cellular level. At the time she didn't fully understand what that meant, but it has since been explained to her."  
"The last slayer with an immortal life."  
"Precisely. She first realized something was wrong when Spike..."

"That other vampire with a soul?"

"At the time he didn't have a soul, but he did have a chip in his head."  
"A chip?" Logan asked in confusion.

"Riley was a member of a secret military organization called the Initiative. They captured demons and experimented on them. Spike was one of the ones they had caught. They placed a chip in his head that caused him pain every time he tried to harm a human. He was able to fight demons, however. It was a slow process but he eventually switched to Buffy's side and fell in love with her.

"Even though he had joined the team they always argued. One night he hit her in the middle of a fight and realized it didn't hurt him. His chip no long registered her as a human. They began an affair shortly after that, but it was a rather abusive one."  
"Abusive? Abusive how?" Logan asked, a growl coming back to his voice.

Wesley hesitated as he tried to figure out the best way to formulate the answer. "Vampires frequently equate violence as foreplay."  
"They beat each other up?"  
"Sometimes. But most of the time the acts that they performed were not of a civilized nature."

Logan took a long swig of his beer.

"She broke it off with him, but one night he came to her and tried to rape her." Wesley paused as he watched the man in front of him try to control his temper. He swore he saw the tips of the man's claws peek out from between his knuckles before sliding back in.

"He what?" Logan asked in a dangerous voice after a few minutes.

"It wasn't entirely Spike's fault. She had been constantly sending him mixed signals, telling him no and then throwing herself at him. He was just as lost and confused as she was. As soon as he realized what he was doing he did stop and was filled with remorse for what he had almost done to the woman he had loved. In an effort to prevent it from ever happening again, he left town to get his soul."  
Logan raised an eyebrow. "The demon willingly left to get a soul?"  
"Yes."  
"So that's what she meant," he muttered under his breath thinking back to the conversation he had overheard between Buffy and Angel. "Then what happened?"

"The First Evil reared its head and Spike came back to help. The nature of their relationship slowly changed. They began seeking each other out for comfort, and not of the sexual nature. Many times they just slept in each others arms just to feel the other holding them. When he died," Wesley said, then paused to take a drink. "When he died protecting her, the last words he spoke to her were 'I love you'."  
Logan got a sinking feeling in his stomach. "And she loved him too," he whispered.

Wesley nodded. "But she never told him. So you see Logan, it's not just you, it's partly her. She's never had a man stick by her. Even her watcher, Giles, a man she thought of as a father, left her for a short time and that was immediately after they discovered she had been in heaven and not hell."  
"What am I gonna do? I barely know her, but she's under my skin and I don't think she's ever goin' to leave."  
"I don't know what to say, other than be patient and let her work out her personal demons on her own."

The mutant looked at Wesley thoughtfully. "Maybe that's the problem. People have been leaving her to herself for too long. Maybe it's time for someone to step in and help her."


	15. Fifteen

Another chapter for you guys! I really hope you guys like this one.

Thought, Plato, Harry2, Saavik, miz, Iceflame55, Hinomi, organized-chaos, Phoenix*Moon 13, truemarine88, dawn of the new world, Heain, CinnamonGrrl, thank you guys so much for all of your reviews!

Lisette, thank you for the info about Rogue, I doubt I use it, but it could definitely come in handy if I write other x-men fics. As for Wesley knowing about Buffy and Spike's relationship, I said in an earlier chapter that Buffy had told Fred and figured that she had told Wesley. I hope that helps to explain it.

Catlimere, I think I'm definitely going to have to start responding to your reviews with emails cause I could write a whole chapter. You get to see Buffy's reaction to Logan's decision in this chapter, I hope it pleases you. And I was trying to be nice to Riley, I could always call him worse, like a piece of limp toast who was more worried about himself than Buffy. And lord, could you just see Logan's reaction if he knew about everything? He probably would have torn the bar apart. And I had to have Buffy realize that she was pulling an Angel, it's the start of her changing. Thank you so much for your review! I love knowing how much you enjoy this story.

Anne, thank you so much for the compliment on my writing. To know that I make it feel real for you is one of the best compliments I have ever received. Thank you.

My reviewers just kick ass!

Thanks to my beta, PuNKyCoWGiRL!

Chapter Fifteen

"You really don't have to do this," Buffy said as she patrolled the cemetery with Logan the next night.

"It's not like I have anything better to do, darlin'. 'Sides, you needed the ride."

"Normally I just have 'Ro or Rogue drop me off and then I call and have them pick me back up when I'm done."

"Like I said, I didn't have anything else better to do tonight." Not to mention, he had made a lot plans to make sure they'd be alone so they could talk. While she hadn't exactly been avoiding him, she _was_ making sure that she wasn't left alone in the same room with him. He had talked to Buffy's normal rides to have them tell Buffy they were too busy to bring her into town to patrol.

Logan was surprised when she suddenly stopped and sat down on a large tombstone. "What's wrong?"

"New grave," she said, gesturing with her stake. "There's a new vampire about to wake up."

"Oh," he said as he sat down beside her on the tombstone. She tensed slightly but then relaxed. "Do you do this a lot when you patrol?"

"What? Sit and wait next to new graves?" She asked.

"Yeah."  
"Depends on if I feel a vampire in there or not. Some people do just die of natural causes you know, even on a hellmouth."  
"Is this why you always patrol the cemeteries first? So you can make sure you catch all of the new vamps?"  
"I try, but I obviously don't get them all," she answered with a sigh. "Sometimes I wonder if what I do is enough. It seems that with every vamp I kill, there are twenty more to take its place."  
"You'll get 'em all one day," he said encouragingly.

"I still wonder though."

They lapsed into an uneasy silence. Despite Logan's declaration to Wesley the night before about not letting her back away from this, he didn't quite know how to proceed. Knowing how to deal with women was never really one of his stronger points.

"Buffy," he began. When she turned to look at him, he continued. "About yesterday..."  
A growl interrupted him and they turned to see that the vamp had risen.

"Duty calls," she said as she hopped off the tombstone and approached the vampire.

She easily ducked under its swing and then staked it. Turning to look at Logan, she said, "Moving on." Then she continued her walk through the cemetery.

Logan got up and followed her. "Buffy, we need to talk about yesterday."  
"What about yesterday?" She asked, getting a strange sense of deja vu.

He sighed. "We kissed."  
Buffy rolled her eyes and muttered, "What is it about guys wanting to talk about kissing in the middle of cemeteries?" She stopped and said loudly enough for him to hear, "It was a mistake, Logan. One that won't happen again."  
"But what if I want it to happen again?" He countered.

"That's not an option," she said as she started walking again.

Logan grabbed her arm to stop her and turned her around to face him. "It is too an option, Buffy. And you know it. You can't deny you enjoyed it as much as I did."

"Not denying it. Who said I was denying it?" She protested as she wrenched her arm away. "I'm just saying it's not going to happen again."

"Buffy, you can't keep hiding, that will only make things worse."

"What the hell do you know...Oomph!" She cried as she was knocked to the ground.

"See what happens when people patrol with me?" Buffy yelled as she shoved the thing that had tackled her off. "I get distracted."

She stood up to face a demon that could tower over Logan's six feet. It's brown and green skin was mottled so that it blended into its surroundings. The thing's back was covered with huge bony spikes. "Well are you just a pretty one," Buffy muttered under her breath before kicking it firmly in the head.

Buffy could sense Logan about to make a move to help. "Don't even think about it, Wolvie. I've got this under control," she said as she dropped to avoid its swinging leg. She kicked her own foot out and connected with its knee, causing it to fall to the ground in pain. The slayer nimbly hopped up and snapped its neck.

She looked around. "Damn, forgot my bag."  
"What's in your bag?"  
"My sword so I can cut it's head off so I'm sure its dead."  
"Maybe I'm helpful after all," he said as his claws slid out from between his knuckles. He then proceeded to cut the thing's head off.

"Thanks," she bit out.

"Think nothing of it, darlin'," he said with a smug smile on his face.

Something registered on her senses and she looked to see two of the same type of demon running away. "Oh no you don't," Buffy said as she took off after them.

Not wanting to leave her alone, Logan took off after her. But they were both pulled up short when the air around the demons seemed to blur and they disappeared.

"Well... That's never happened before," Buffy said. She went back to the dead demon.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to get a better look at this one. I've never seen his kind before. If I can look them up and figure out what they're after, I have a better chance of finding them."

As she studied the demon, she noticed it was holding something in its hand. She pulled it out and it was a copper amulet with strange markings on it.

"Must have been what it was after," she said. "Let's get back to the mansion." Then she headed back to where they had parked.

He couldn't seem to pry her attention away from the amulet on the way back to the motorcycle and he eventually gave up.

She climbed on behind him and Logan had to suppress a shiver of delight as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He cursed himself for thinking that bringing the bike that night would have been a good idea. Logan had hoped that their close proximity would have caused some sort of reaction out of her. Unfortunately, her mind didn't seem to notice.

When they arrived at the mansion, she was off the bike and inside before he had even turned the motor off. He sighed. He knew that there was no way he was going to make her talk tonight. He'd just have to find a way to corner her tomorrow.

**********

The next afternoon, Buffy headed to the room that they had placed all of Giles demon books. She clutched the amulet in her hand, knowing that whatever she was going to find, it just wasn't going to be good. She had been a slayer and lived on a hellmouth for too long to know that demons looking for amulets were never a good sign.

She was surprised, however, when she walked into the library to find Bobby and Rogue sitting at a table pouring over books.

"Rogue, did you happen to find the book chronicling the hellmouths?" Came Wesley's cultured British voice as he stepped out from behind a large bookcase.

"So they're studying the hellmouth?" Buffy asked in an accusing tone.

"Ah, Buffy. I wasn't aware that you were in here."  
"Wesley, what did I say about involving others? I didn't want anyone else to get involved, especially not the students!"

"Buffy, it's not what you think," Wesley began.

"Oh, so the fact that they're sitting in a demon library looking for a book talking about hellmouths is no reason for me not to think that you're training them?"

"Ok, maybe it's a little bit like what you think. But I didn't approach them, Buffy, they came to me."  
"Right. Like they would even know where to start."  
"It's true, Buffy," Rogue said, interrupting them. "Bobby and I overheard your conversation a coupla' weeks ago. We just wanted to help."

Buffy turned her fierce eyes to Rogue. "And you! How could you hide this from me? I thought we were friends Rogue!"  
Bobby jumped to his feet. "Don't yell at her. It was my idea to go and talk to Wesley in the first place."  
"No, Bobby. It's ok," Rogue said. "It was my idea to talk to Wesley. Bobby was just as enthusiastic about the idea as I was. We didn't want you to have to fight this alone."  
"Don't you understand?" Buffy asked, not noticing Logan entering the room. "I'm the slayer. The Chosen _One_. Notice the word _one_, I'm suppose to be alone!"

"But it doesn't have to be that way, darlin'," Logan said from behind her.

"And you!" Buffy roared as she whirled to face him. "I don't even want to talk to you!" She turned back to Wesley. "Get these kids out of here, Wesley. I don't want to catch them in here again." Then she stormed out the door.

"Well.... I think she took that rather well," Wesley said.

"How can you say that?" Rogue asked.

"She didn't break any of the furniture."  
"I'll talk to her," Logan said.

"Now may not be the best time," Wesley warned the mutant.

"I think it is," Logan said as he turned and went out the door.

***********

Logan easily followed her scent, even though he already had a good idea of where she was headed. It wasn't dark yet, so he figured she was taking out her frustrations in either the danger room or workout room. He found her beating the hell out of a punching bag in the workout room.

"What the hell do you think you were doing yelling at Bobby and Rogue like that?" He bellowed.

"I believe I have every right to be angry at people who betrayed me."  
"Who betrayed you?"  
"Wesley... Bobby... Rogue..." She said, emphasizing each name with a punch. "Going around acting like there's nothing wrong. Yet, they've been sneaking around behind my back, learning about demons."

"The only reason why Wesley was teaching them was because they delivered him an ultimatum. Either he taught them, or they'd find someone else who would."  
Buffy stopped her assault on the punching bag. "So you knew about this?" She asked in an injured tone.

"I just found out two nights ago, because Wesley told me."  
"Oh! He told _you_, but not me!"

"The only reason he told me was because I told him I wanted to find a way to help you."  
"I don't _need _help!"

Logan smirked. "See that's where you're wrong, darlin'. I think you do."  
"I'm not your darlin' so stop calling me that! And I don't need any help. Not from you. Not from Wesley, or Bobby, or Rogue, or even Fred. I didn't ask for any."

"You don't have to ask, Buffy," Logan said softly. "We're your friends and we care about you. We want to help you 'cause that's what friends do - help each other without being asked.

"Yeah, well helping me will get you killed. That's what happened to my last group of friends."  
"You can't blame yourself for them wanting to fight beside you."  
"But if they hadn't met me, they'd still be alive," she said sullenly as she pushed her hair out of her face.

"You don't know that. You lived on a hellmouth, they could've been killed by any one of the vampires or demons. Wesley told me that they didn't have a clue until you saved them one day."  
"Whatever," Buffy mumbled, looking at her hands, instead of him.

"Why can't you just accept the fact that we care about you and want to help?" Logan asked.

"You can care all you want, but don't expect me to care back."  
"But I think you already do. Why else would you still be here?"  
She lifted her head with an incredulous look. "Duh, hellmouth! Slayer! Hence my stayness."

"That's not what I mean. Why are you still at the mansion?"  
"Uh, job. Ring any bells?"

"One you didn't have to accept," Logan pointed out. "I think on some level you wanted to stay. I think you wanted to stay and get close to us because you're tired of living without someone to care for."  
"That's bullshit!"

"Is it really? You claim you don't want us to help, and you claim you don't want us to care, yet you stick around and help us learn about your world and how to fight it," he said as he moved in close.

"I didn't teach you to fight it! I taught you how to protect yourself, there's a difference," Buffy retorted as she unconsciously backed away.

"Just because you lost the man you loved..."

"How did you know that?" She asked in a low, menacing tone.

"I told you, I talked to Wesley."  
"He had no right."  
"He's worried about you Buffy, we all are. Just because you lost Spike doesn't mean you have to stop caring."  
"I have to," Buffy said in a choked voice.

"Why?" He asked, stepping towards her until they were almost touching. This time she didn't back away.

"Because if I start caring, I risk losing the people I care about. I can't do it again." She sank to the floor and seemed to be lost. "I loved Spike so much, but I never got a chance to tell him. 'Cause I was afraid that the moment he knew how much I cared then he would leave me. But he left me anyway. He swore he would never leave me, but he did."

"Darlin', it's not like he wanted to leave you," Logan said as he crouched down in front of her. "I've only known you a month and I don't wanna leave you. Hell, I didn't want to leave you after the first night."  
Tears started rolling down her face. "But not wanting to and actually leaving are two different things. It's so hard to trust anybody because once I find someone to trust they usually find a way to break it."  
Logan pulled her into his arms. "You've got to start living again, darlin'. 'Cause if you don't, you'll forget why you're fighting to save everybody. When that happens, the world is doomed."

"But what if I can't?" She asked through her tears.

"You got plenty of people here willin' to help ya."

**********

It was several hours later when Buffy's even breathing told Logan that she had finally fallen asleep. She had spent the time crying and talking to him. He figured the professor had told everyone to stay away since they had never been interrupted.

He easily picked her up and carried Buffy to her room. Logan laid her gently on her bed and removed her shoes. After he covered her up, he turned to leave. But a hand on his wrist stopped him.

"Please stay," she pleaded softly.

"Are you sure?" He asked. 

"Yes."

Logan removed his shoes and belt and climbed in beside her. She immediately snuggled up to his chest and fell back asleep. He wrapped his own arms around her and closed his eyes. Burying his nose in her hair, he fell asleep with her soothing scent filling his senses.


	16. Sixteen

Hi guys! Here's another chapter for you! I hope you enjoy!

Cataclysmic, Harry2, Phoenix*Moon 13, Anne, Thought, Angelica, Chelle86, NicolaAfyon, Jess AKA BRTW, JeRee, thank you guys so much for all of your reviews.

Plato, I plan on bringing Spike into it, but only briefly and not in that way. Although it would be a great obstacle, I think she has enough to deal with. I had toyed around with some other ideas, (like Mystique appearing like Spike) but tossed them out cause I couldn't figure out how to get them to logically work into the flow of the story.

miz, umm, Faith died before the story even started... it's mentioned in the first chapter.

dawn of the new world, yeah, the ending was slightly intentional in that way.

Meri, I can't believe that one was your favorite so far, it was so angsty, although I had to add that little bit at the end. And yes, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, definitely lots of things to lust after there. That man is just one fine speciman. Oh, don't get me started. And shame on you for giving me ideas about things to do to Riley. Urgh. I've actually got so many ideas that won't fit into the plot of this story that I may have to write a sequel when I'm done. Who knows, we'll see.

organized-chaos, are you psychic? Cause believe me, danger is so on its way. Hee hee, I'm so cruel to my fav couple.

Tanydwr, my little clause about all the demons should never really cause a problem with my fic cause it's not going to last that long, but I'd like to think that it wouldn't include them. And I promise I'll read your story the moment I have time to. My computer was giving me fits and my husband spent most of the week trying to fix it. He just finished it today. And as soon as I have a huge chunk of time, I'll read, I promise.

Pol, believe me, I've watched the show probably too many times to be considered healthy for a woman my age. And I've watched that season a bit since it was the season of the naked Spike. And yes, she continually sent him mixed signals. She would tell him no and then practically attack him. Remember the protests outside the house, just before she did him anyway? I'm not condoning his actions in any way, because when a women says no then you should stop. But I do believe she had him thoroughly confused.

My reviewers just kick ass!!!!

Thanks to my beta PuNKyCoWGiRL!

Chapter Sixteen

Buffy slowly came awake with the knowledge that she was not alone. It wasn't just the extra breathing and heartbeat that she was hearing, but the fact that she was cuddled up against a warm body. At some point in the night, her hand had found its way under the guy's shirt. She could tell by her tingling senses that the man she was up against was Logan.

She stifled a groan as she remembered what happened to lead up to this position. Buffy wasn't sure why this man caused her to open up and be comforted by him. Logan challenged her and wouldn't back down from her or the fight. Nobody else had been that way towards her, except Spike.

Then she realized that the thought of Spike wasn't accompanied by it usual heart rendering pain. It still hurt, but not like it did. Buffy sighed. It meant she was moving on, something that she knew would happen one day, but she had tried postponing for as long as possible. It had been one of the reasons she had held off grieving. She was afraid that once her heart mended that his memory would fade until she no longer remembered him or his sacrifice.

Moving slowly so she wouldn't end up with a belly full of claws, she sat up. Buffy looked down at the sleeping man next to her. She had caught glimpses of Logan sleeping before and he always seemed so tense. But now, he was relaxed and peaceful, the hard lines of his face smoothed out. Logan had told her once that he never slept well and a thought flickered across her mind before disappearing - what was the cause of this restful sleep?

Buffy had no desire to talk to him just yet. There were several things she had to do first. She silently climbed out of bed, grabbed an extra set of clothes, and went into the bathroom to change. When she came out, she pulled the amulet out of the pocket in the jeans she had worn the day before, then pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail.

The tiny slayer crept out of her room and went in search of Bobby and Rogue. She had a feeling that the two of them were denying her orders, so she headed in that direction.

Just as she suspected, the two young mutants were in the demon library with Wesley.

"I thought I told you I didn't want you in here anymore?" Buffy asked calmly, with one eyebrow raised, as she leaned against the doorframe.

Rogue's jaw dropped comically as she searched for something to say. Bobby, however, spoke up. "We're not going to stop, so you might as well live with it."

Buffy surprised them by smirking slightly. She pushed off the doorframe and walked over to the table they were sitting at. "I had a feeling you were going to say that. Let's make a deal."

"What kind of deal," Bobby asked.

"I'm guessing you're taking extra sessions with me and Logan to help with the fighting, right?"

"Yeah," Rogue said sheepishly.

"I'm willing to let you guys help with the research stuff, but absolutely no fighting. I can handle it, and if I absolutely have to have help, I can always ask. Is that a deal?"  
"What about magic?" Rogue hesitantly asked.

Buffy's eyes narrowed slightly. "What about it?"

"Bobby and I have been learning magic."  
The blond shot Wesley a glare.

"I found them a tutor. She's taking all of the necessary precautions," Wesley informed her.

"Fine." She turned back to the students. "But no dark magic or finding spells to help me with patrolling. Just binding and closing hellmouth stuff."  
Rogue stood and held out a gloved hand. "Deal."  
With a smile, Buffy shook it. Then she dug the amulet out of her pocket. "You've got an assignment. I need to know what you can find on this." 

"Where did you find it?" Wesley asked, as he looked it over.

"A demon I killed the other night. There were two others who got away. I've never seen their kind before. I just know that they're up to something."  
"This is so cool!" Bobby said.

Buffy just raised an eyebrow and picked up a book.

*********

Logan woke up and blinked several times to get his bearings. He remembered that he had stayed in Buffy's room that night and he turned to see if she was still there. A sigh escaped his lips as he realized she wasn't. A quick glance around the room told him she had already left.

A low growl rumbled deep in his chest as disappointment flooded through him. While he had not been expecting hugs and kisses in the morning, he _had_ expected her to be there when he awoke. 

He stood up and stretched out all of the kinks that had formed during the night and realized that he was the most rested he had been in years. While Buffy's presence had the tendency to excite him, it also calmed his inner beast.

Logan picked up his shoes and belt and headed to his room to shower and change. As he showered, he thought back to the night before. He honestly hadn't expected Buffy to open up as much as she did, but he could tell that she was still holding part of herself back. But either way, it was a step in the right direction.

When he was finished he headed out in search of Buffy. He was surprised when he found her sitting with Bobby and Rogue in the demon library. 

Buffy looked up as he entered the room. An apology shone in her eyes as she smiled at him and a corner of his mouth went up in response. He watched as she took a deep breath and then asked, "Do you want to help?" 

His face broke out in a huge smile and he sat down and asked, "Where do I start?"  
**********

The next few days passed quietly while they pored through all of the books. Buffy allowed Logan to get closer to her. She always went to him for rides into town and often he would patrol with her. Every time he tried to discuss their feelings, however, she would change the topic but link her arm with his as a signal that she wasn't quite ready, but one day she would be.

They had found information on the demon they had killed. While the Terash looked fierce, it was actually quite weak and easy to kill. Its main advantage was the fact that it could teleport - moving from one place to another instantaneously. But they still hadn't discovered anything about the amulet.

It was a Thursday night when Fred and Wesley joined the research team with somber looks.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked.

"Wesley and I need to go back to L.A.," Fred said softly. "We're not needed there like right this second, but something' is brewin' and Angel needs us."

"Besides," Wesley said as he adjusted his glasses, "you're more than capable of handling things here. I've gathered all the information I can on a newly formed hellmouth."  
Buffy nodded sadly. "When do you need to leave?"

"Not until Saturday," Fred answered. "The crisis isn't suppose to happen until Monday, so Angel says." 

"I'm gonna miss you guys," Buffy said with tears in her eyes, but she hastily wiped them away. "So are you guys up to some last minute research before you go?"  
"Always," Wesley answered warmly.

**********

The next afternoon Buffy's cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hi Buffy!"

"Hey Clem! What's up?"

"Just wanted to let you know about some things."  
"Like what?" Buffy asked.

"There's been talk about a gathering tonight at the hellmouth. There's over fifty Terash demons in town."  
"Fifty!" Buffy cried, causing the people in the room to briefly look up at her. "How could I have missed that many of them?"

"Probably because of their teleporting abilities," Clem said, trying to soothe her. 

"I found it!" Bobby yelled from behind her.

"Hold on a sec, Clem," Buffy said. Then she rested the phone on her shoulder. "What did you find?"

"The amulet in a book. It's used in rituals to open the hellmouth." 

"Great," Buffy muttered. She held the phone back up to her ear. "Do you know what time this gathering is tonight?"  
"Last I heard it was at midnight."  
"Of course. How many are going to be there, do you know?" 

"I overheard conversations at the bar," Clem explained quickly. "There was a lot of them talking about being there along with the Terash demons."  
"All right. Thanks for letting me know, Clem."

There was a pause before Clem asked, "Do you need any help?"

"I'll let you know since I know you're not big with the violence," Buffy said with a smile.

"But I'll do anything to help keep the world as it is."

"I know, but thanks anyway. I'll talk to you later. Bye." She turned to Logan. "I think we need to assemble the x-men."

*********

Buffy watched in amazement as the table in front of her became a 3-d image of the clearing in the woods where the hellmouth was. She was gathered with the x-men plus Bobby, Rogue, Wesley, and Fred in one of the conference rooms beneath the mansion.

"Wow," she said in awe. "That should make planning a little easier."  
"What exactly is the problem?" The professor asked, effectively calling the meeting to order.

"About a week ago, Logan and I were patrolling. We killed a demon and he had this amulet," Buffy replied, holding up said amulet. "We saw two other demons run away then they vanished. Now demons with amulets on a hellmouth usually signals _big_ trouble. Apocalypse trouble. So I started researching with the help of Bobby and Rogue. 

"Today I received several pieces of information. First, Clem called about a demon gathering tonight on the hellmouth. Then, Bobby found the info about the amulet." She looked at Bobby, letting him know that it was his turn.

Bobby grinned as he began talking. "There are four other amulets like this out there, and they are used with opening hellmouths. We figured the Terash demons were looking for this amulet to help open the hellmouth."  
"But if we have one of the amulets, why are we worried?" Storm asked. 

"Because they don't need all five of them to open the hellmouth," Bobby explained. "As a matter of fact, they only need one. The more amulets they have, the faster the hellmouth opens."  
Jean looked puzzled as she said, "I'm not sure I understand."  
Rogue spoke up. "The amulets act as a focal point for the magic used to open the hellmouth. The more amulets that are present, the stronger the focal point - the faster the opening of the hellmouth."  
"So what you're saying is, is that they can open it with one, it'll just take four times as long," Jean said, trying to sort it out as she said it.

"Yes," Rogue said with a bob of her head.

"And you think they're going to do this tonight?" Scott asked.

"More than likely," Buffy answered. A determined look appeared in her eyes as she slightly raised her chin. "I need to ask you guys for help."  
"What kind of help?" Scott asked.

"Clem told me that there are over fifty of these Terash demons and there are other demons planning on being at the ritual tonight. I can't fight all of them _and_ stop the apocalypse, even though those Terash demons aren't that tough. You don't have to help if you don't want to," Buffy said with a slight tremor in her voice. "But I_ would _appreciate it."  
Logan grinned. "You know where I stand on this, darlin'. I'll be right beside ya." 

"Thanks, Logan."

"Bobby and I can come too," Rogue said.

"No. I know I was younger than you when I started, but that was because I was chosen. Besides, our deal was that you could research, but no fighting remember?"  
"But what about the spell?" Rogue protested. "You said we could help with the magic."

Buffy sighed. "What do I need to look for to stop the spell?"

"The book mentioned a long and involved chant, the blood of an unclean, and the amulets," Bobby said.

"Then it's not a problem. As long as I can keep them from completing the chant and bleeding we'll be fine." Buffy said in relief. She really didn't want the kids out there fighting.

"But…"

"No buts," Logan growled. "If she said no, then she said no. Don't push it."

"Plus, I need someone with Fred and Wesley to stay here and guard that last amulet in case they come after it," Buffy said, hoping that would pacify the two teens.

"Guarding will be fine," Rogue said dejectedly and Bobby nodded in agreement.

A brief silence descended on the group until Kurt asked, "Opening the hellmouth would unleash hell on earth, right?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Buffy answered.

"Then I think I should help mein friends in stopping it from happening. I'll be with you."  
The rest of the x-men nodded their heads in agreement. They had always believed in protecting their world. It was just a matter of shifting it from evil mutants to demons.

"All right," Buffy said with a slight smile. "Are you sure you guys want to do this? I wouldn't have asked…"  
"Buffy!" Scott interrupted. "We want to help."  
"Ok," she said, not seeing Wesley and Fred sharing a smile in the corner of the room.

"So how do we go about stopping an apocalypse?" Scott asked with an eager look.


	17. Seventeen

Hello everyone! Sorry that it has been so long in between updates, life has been crazy.

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Important! I'm suspending this story for a short period of time (Not indefinitely). I'll be back in about a month. I'm not sure if you are aware or not, but I currently have 4 WIP and they are kind of spreading me thin. I have one that is close to completion so I'm going to concentrate on it and once it is done, I'll come back to this one. I have an update list for this fic and if you wish to be added so you know when I return either leave your address in your review or email me at melindoranightsilver@hotmail.com

Review Responses:

Plato, Harry2, Ezmerelda, Chelle 86, miz, Jedi Buttercup, Thought, dawn of the new world, water block, eth, thank you guys so much for your reviews. You guys totally rock!

organized-chaos, ok that little scene you wrote in your review, was hysterical. Made me laugh! But I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Phoenix Moon 13, I love to torture my characters. I'm completely evil that way. You'll see even more torture in this chapter. Hee hee

Catlimere, as always thank you so much for your review. I have a small confession. I don't feel any chapter to this story is complete until I receive a review from you. I practically hold my breath until I get it, and then I dance about in delight cause you think so much on my wavelength that it is almost scary (It probably would be scary except I have a friend who thinks almost exactly like me. We say and do things at the same time all the time and really freak people out. Not only that, we carry on conversations without words sometimes or just with partial sentences). But anywho. Thank you so much for your review!

****

Another note: I know you guys are sad about Wesley and Fred leaving, but they have done all they can do. But another old friend will show up in a future chapter.

Thanks to my beta PuNKyCoWGiRL!

Chapter Seventeen

Buffy crouched in the bushes on one side of the clearing with Jean and Kurt. Her body was tense in preparation for the upcoming battle. The scythe rested lightly across her knees.

"Why are we just waiting here?" Jean whispered.

The slayer fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Because that's the plan."  
"I still don't understand. Why not just attack now, before they all get here?" Jean had been the only one to voice resistance to the entire plan, but Buffy had a feeling that it was just to irk her.

"There are several reasons why. I want to get all the amulets they have to prevent this from happening again. Plus, if we attack now, their buddies could sneak up behind us. I like having all the baddies where I can see them," Buffy explained as she watched more demons enter the clearing.

They watched in silence for several minutes and the clearing quickly filled with demons. Buffy glanced at her watch and saw that there was still ten minutes till midnight. She leaned in close to Jean. "Tell the others we'll move in in about eight minutes and to wait for the signal."  
"That's cutting it close," Kurt pointed out.

"I know, but I want to make sure they are all here."  
Jean's eyes grew distant as she relayed the message to Scott on the other side of the clearing.

**********

"What _is_ that girl waiting for?" Logan growled from his position next to Scott.

"To make sure they're all here," Scott whispered. He checked his watch. "It's five till. We'll charge in a few more minutes."  
"Are any of them vampires?" Storm asked.

"Nah, they're all pure demons," Logan answered with a sniff.

"That makes sense. Wesley said that vampires and demons don't usually mix," Scott said as he watched the demons. Then Jean's voice was in his head. ~We're ready. Just wait for Buffy's signal.~

~What signal is that?~

~She said Logan would know.~

Scott swore softly. He hated not being privy to important information. "It's up to you, Logan. Buffy said you would recognize the signal."  
Logan growled. "Crazy girl."  
"What do you mean?"

"Means she's going to do something stupid before we're supposed to join her. Like that," he pointed out as Buffy stepped from her hiding spot, nonchalantly swinging her scythe for them all to see.

"Hi boys. Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" She asked sweetly, as she rested the scythe on her shoulder.

"It's the slayer!" One demon yelled. "Stop her!"

"That's a shame," Buffy said with a dramatic sigh as she easily decapitated one of them. "I wore my dancing shoes and even brought some friends."

"Move!" Logan ordered as he leapt to his feet and charged into the clearing, unsheathing his claws.

A feral grin appeared on his face as he realized that some part of him missed this - the rush of adrenaline as you faced a foe. He quickly dug his claws into one Terash demon and pulled up, effectively slicing and killing it. He jumped slightly as lightening touched down behind him and he turned to see a scorched demon lying on the ground.

Storm smiled at Logan as he nodded his head in thanks. She went back to looking over the clearing to find another demon to hit. From her vantage point in the air, she had a clear view of the action. Seeing one of the demons trying to sneak up behind Jean, she sent down another bolt of lightening.

A Terash demon flew through the air and was impaled on a tree branch. Jean lowered her hand and turned her attention to one of the demons wearing an amulet. She reached out a hand and the amulet flew into it. The demon turned to charge her, but was decapitated by Buffy.

"Nice work, Jean!" Buffy said. "Only a few more to go!"

Jean went to get another, but was tackled from behind. The weight was knocked off of her and she rolled to see Logan standing over her. He held out a blood soaked hand to help her up.

"They've started the chant!" Buffy yelled as she flipped a demon over her back. She gave it a quick kick sending it directly into Logan's waiting claws. "We need to stop them!"  
The scythe literally sang in the air as she tried to cut a path to the ceremony in the center of the clearing. With her slayer senses at full alert she could feel exactly where everyone was. She could feel Logan off to her right and Scott just to her left. She had thought that Storm would be safe in the sky, but apparently one of the demons was ambitious.

Buffy looked up to warn her, but saw Kurt appear next to her, wrap his arms around her, and then disappear. A red beam shot through the dark and incinerated the demon that had jumped out of the tree to where Storm had been only seconds before.

She changed her focus to see Scott land a solid punch on a Terash demon and ducked to avoid another one. He stood up and hit a third one with one of his deadly beams. The blond made a mental note to spar with him a few times a week, he seemed to be pretty capable.

A huge smile began to break out on Scott's face as he watched the demon turn to ash. He knew he should stay focused since they hadn't exactly stopped the apocalypse, but he knew, without a doubt, that they were going to win. He was having fun. It wasn't often that he was able to use his powers without fear of severely injuring someone. And, as always, it felt good using his powers for the greater good.

Kurt sighed as he used his tail to break one of the demon's necks. He really hated killing. He knew that the demons weren't human and were trying to end the world, but he still felt bad. There had been many times in his own life that he had been called a demon, but those people had been ignorant to the real world around them. The blue skinned mutant only hoped that God would forgive him for this.

Buffy began to grow slightly worried as the chanting continued. Deciding that it needed to stop now, she yelled, "Wolvie, I need a lift!"

He looked over at her and she nodded to the center of the clearing. Understanding what she wanted, he moved to about ten feet in front of her and dropped to one knee. She took off running and her last step was in his outstretched hands. With his added assistance, she easily vaulted over everyone and into the center of the ceremony.

"Did you miss me?" She asked as she quickly cut down the closest demon.

The chanting around her intensified as she began her assault. She removed another amulet from one of the fallen demons and then stood and easily decapitated another demon.

Scott barely registered Buffy's flying leap over them, he was too busy fighting. The last of the Terash demons were gathered in the center leaving the stronger and tougher demons to defend them. The fight had only been going on for about ten minutes, but he was beginning to tire.

A grunt escaped Logan's lips as one of the demons got lucky and sliced his arm with its claws. "Mine are better, bub," he growled as he sliced the thing's arm off. He then stabbed it in chest, killing it.

His senses tingled in a strange warning and he whirled around in time to see a huge fist slam into Scott's face, knocking his visor off. Logan felt rooted in place, as what happened next appeared to take place in slow motion. 

Without the visor, Scott's beams incinerated every demon in its path. That is, until it hit something that stopped it - Buffy's back. He watched in complete horror as they hit her full force and her screams of pain filled his ears. Logan could see Scott's own look of terror, but he seemed unable to close his eyes.

"Damn it, Cyke! Shut yer eyes!" He cried as he ran toward him. But Scott's body seemed unable to comply until Logan tackled him to the ground.

Logan looked up to see Buffy fall lifelessly to the ground and the demons turn on her en masse. Seeing the woman who had captured his heart in danger caused something in him to snap. With a savage roar, he leapt into the crowd of demons.

He recklessly cut into anything that foolishly crossed his path. Demon body pieces flew everywhere and Logan's mind didn't register any injury he received. His body moved on complete instinct and everything around him was red except for the blond hair that he fought his way to. He slashed and hacked until he stood over her and killed anything that approached.

His bloodlust didn't fade until he realized that all the demons were dead or had run off. As he regained his senses, he retracted his claws and dropped next to Buffy's prone form. Tears stung his eyes as he took in the blood, muscle, and bone that had once been her back. He nearly cried out in relief as he heard her heart beating faintly.

"Oh my god," Jean whispered as she knelt on the other side. She did a quick examination. "We need to get her back to the mansion, fast."  
"Kurt, can you teleport Jean and Buffy back to the mansion?" Scott asked. Someone must have retrieved his visor for it was back on his face.

"No. I can only carry one other person over long distances."  
"Then take Buffy and come back for Jean," Scott instructed. "We'll take the cars back."  
"It's too great of a distance for one jump," Kurt protested.

"Then do a bunch of short jumps. Just go!" Logan growled. 

Kurt nodded and bent down to touch Buffy. Then he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Logan picked up Buffy's scythe and began heading back to the vehicles with long strides. "Let's go."  
They left Jean waiting for Kurt to teleport back for her. None of them noticed blood from a Terash demon seep into two of the amulets and then sink into the ground.

********

Logan paced outside the room that Jean was treating Buffy in. The doctor had long since ordered him out citing that he was only in the way. So he was forced to wait outside with no clue of what was going on.

"She'll be fine, Logan. After all, she can't die," Wesley said, trying to assure the man. Wesley and Fred were sitting in chairs in the hallway with him.

"You didn't see her," Logan growled. "There was practically nothing left of her back."  
"That's highly besides the point. She is immortal, she will heal."

Logan was prevented from arguing further by Jean stepping into the hallway. Wesley and Fred stood up and along with Logan, approached her.

"How is she?" Logan anxiously asked.

"She is in a coma, but she is stable."  
"Oh my god," Fred said with a soft cry.

"But that is a good thing," Jean said quickly. "It's allowing her body to heal. I've cleaned her back and the rest of her wounds, and set up and I.V. with antibiotics and to keep her fluids up. But I'm afraid if I do anything else, it will only interfere with her natural healing. All we can do now is wait and let her body take care of the rest."  
"Can we see her?" Wesley asked.

"Sure," Jean said with a sad smile. She stopped Logan from entering. "You need to clean up first. You can't go in there like that, you could make things worse."  
Logan looked down at himself and for the first time he noticed he was covered in blood, gore, and dirt. Not wanting to hurt Buffy more, he nodded and ran back to his room to take a quick shower.

His hair was still wet when he entered the room. He felt a huge lump in his throat as he saw her pale body lying facedown on the bed leaving her raw back exposed. Paying little heed to the others in the room, he pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and took her hand into his own. 

"I'm afraid Fred and I still need to leave in the morning," Wesley said softly.

"We don't want to, but we don't have much of a choice, Angel needs us," Fred added.

Logan nodded. "She'd want you to go," he said, not removing his eyes from Buffy's face.

"Call us when she wakes up," Wesley said and again Logan just nodded. Knowing that the man was in no condition to talk, he and Fred silently left.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there. All the x-men and quite a few of the students came in to visit her, but he barely noticed that they were there. His entire being was focused on her.

His mind worked feverishly trying to figure out why he was suddenly doing things that he had never done before. He preferred living a solitary life with no one to worry about or to worry about him. That type of life allowed him to live and do as he pleased. But this wisp of a woman had changed all that.

She brought out this intense need to care for her. It wasn't that she couldn't take care of herself, but more of a need to support her - to show her that someone would be there for her, always. She just kept on giving and giving, yet received so little in return, and he wanted to change that.

Logan was determined to be the man who stood beside her, no matter what. The only thing that would stop him would be his own death. She was trying so hard to be alone so as not to get others hurt, but that kind of behavior wasn't in her make-up. And he was going to prove that to her.

He wasn't sure why he was the one to do this, after all, he wasn't exactly qualified for the job. But his instincts told him that he was, and he always trusted his instincts. There was this nagging notion, however, that his instincts were following something else. 

Logan hadn't been lying when he had told her that she had affected him that first night he saw her. When he thought really hard about it, he realized she had ensnared him from the moment he first set his eyes on her. After that, there was no where to go except with her.

In the hour just before dawn, he made a confession to her sleeping body. "Buffy, I need you to come back. I'm afraid my heart has gone and done something stupid. I think I just might love you."


	18. Eighteen

Hello everyone! Sorry that this has taken so long to get out, but since the last time I posted I've built and torn down three sets, performed in a show, designed lights for another, finished Across The Pond, planted a garden, am now harvesting from said garden, celebrated an anniversary, wrote two fic-a-thon stories, been catching up on Stargate since I just got Sci-fi, started a website, and a myriad of other projects. So life has been a little busy.

The next chapter should be up in about two weeks. I've done some planning and I think there are, at most, ten more chapters to this fic. But a sequel is already swimming around my head. (not to mention about a half dozen other fics)

A word of caution, don't bitch to me about the lack of updates. I'm busy, I have a life, if you can't deal with it, stop reading my story. I happen to be a teacher who scares her students so back off or I will become nasty. I'm well aware that there was a long period between this update and the last, but I never start something without the full intention of finishing it. Just be patient, it's a virtue after all. For those who were infinitely patient with me, thank you.

**Review Responses:**

CinnamonGrrl, Harry2, Ezmerelda, chelle 86, La Vito, Kyra2, dawn of the new world, krazy babe, alien, comix mayday, kalika55, thank you guys so much for your reviews!

Catlimere, I'm glad you enjoyed Scott and Logan teamed up in the last chapter 'cause I have more torture prepared for the future. Hee hee, you'll see what I mean in this chapter. And I'm glad that Logan's beserker rage worked, I was a little worried about it, especially since fight scenes aren't really my forte. And ever since Krisztina sent me the cd she uses for her fic I've started gathering songs for this one, and Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life" just happened to be one of them. I had the exact same thought's about it. The theme song to Tru Calling - Full Blown Rose's "Save Me" - is really good too.

organized-chaos, the angst monkey? Hee hee, I like. He does some dancing in this chapter too. Just because I like his little dance. :)

glitzydancingshoes, I had wondered exactly how to word that bit you questioned about. But think of it like this, I always sleep on my stomach but my head is turned to the side so I just thought of her head being turned so he could see her face.

Sabia, details is always one of my weakest points, that and fight scenes. I'm working on it though, although with this fic I'm mostly concentrating on Buffy and Logan.

I'll shut up now and let you read....

**Chapter Eighteen**

The first thing that Buffy was aware of was a faint beeping that seemed to correspond with each beat of her heart. She detected the faint scent of disinfectant and got a sickening feeling that she was in the hospital wing. Knowing that the sooner she fully awakened and got up, the sooner she'd get out of there, she slowly opened her eyes.

A cheery room filled with flowers, balloons and cards greeted her. The sun shined brightly through the window causing her to blink several times to adjust. Nothing gave off the indication that she was in a hospital room except for the monitoring machines. The bed was a normal one and she even had her favorite kitty pajamas on.

Sensing another presence, she turned to see Logan sprawled out in a large armchair, asleep. She noticed his disheveled look and the dark circles under his eyes. A soft smile graced her face as she guessed he must have gotten little sleep while she had been out.

Which brought up another thing, what exactly happened? She remembered fighting the demons and then something hitting her in the back. Buffy scrunched up her nose in thought but everything after that was black until a few moments ago.

Buffy looked up when she heard someone enter the room.

"How are you feeling?" Jean asked.

"Fine. A little confused, but fine. How did you know I was awake?" Buffy asked in a hushed voice so as not to wake Logan.

"The monitors have remote feeds so that I can still observe. Your heart rate sped up indicating that you had finally awakened. What are you confused about?" Jean asked as she unhooked Buffy from the machines and the I.V.

"What happened and how long have I been out for starters," she said.

"You were hit by one of Scott's uncontrolled beams. If you had been anyone else you would have been vaporized. As it was, it tore all of the skin off of your back and some of the muscle. You would have died without your healing abilities. You've been unconscious for over four days, it's now Wednesday afternoon."

"Wednesday?" Buffy asked in surprise. "What about Fred and Wes, did they..."

"They called yesterday morning. Everything is fine in L.A."

Buffy breathed out a sigh of relief. "That's good to know. Where am I? This doesn't look like any hospital room I've ever seen."

"Because it's not," Jean said with a smile. "As soon as you were passed any danger of infection, Logan insisted on moving you out of the hospital wing. He said you'd be more comfortable in a real room. So we converted the closest empty room to the medical wing. He even brought down a few things from your room, including..."

"Mr. Gordo!" Buffy said, grabbing the stuffed pig out of Jean's hands. She couldn't believe all that the man had done for her. Looking over at him she asked, "Has he been here the whole time?"

Jean nodded and said, "He only left to shower and bring things from your room. This is the first time he has slept since you were injured. I don't think he was able to rest until he knew for sure that you were going to be all right."

The blonde couldn't respond, she could only stare at the man who had looked after her in utter amazement. To her knowledge, no man had ever done something like this for her before. She had no idea what to make of it.

"I could tell you to stay in bed for another day and finish gathering your strength, but I doubt you'd listen."

"Probably not," Buffy agreed with a smile. "Then you are free to go, but try to take it easy for the next few days. And I would really prefer that you didn't patrol until this weekend," the doctor said seriously.

"Agreed. I think I'd like to go get something to eat."  
"Did you want to wake Logan first?"

Buffy stopped to think about it and then shook her head. "Wolvie needs his rest. I'll see him when he wakes up."

"I'm sure you will," Jean murmured with a slight smirk on her face. Luckily for her, Buffy didn't hear it as she was already out the door in search of food.

Buffy sat down in the lotus position as she prepared to meditate. If only Giles could see her now - meditating willingly. A stab of pain filled her heart at the thought of her former watcher, but she brushed it aside to concentrate. She had just finished her Tai Chi kata that Angel had taught her what seemed like a lifetime before. She really hated to admit it, but she was tired already, and all she had done was eat and then the kata.

The tiny slayer hadn't realized how many people she had affected until the students and teachers had bombarded her. They all insisted on hugging her as if to assure themselves that she was fine. Rogue and Bobby had enveloped her in a huge bear hug and nearly didn't let go of her. There were so many people, that it took a while before she had been able to reach the kitchen to eat anything.

Only Scott had seemed a little cool towards her. When she had entered the kitchen he was leaving and only welcomed her back. Which, at the time, she had thought a bit strange, but her hunger overrode any serious thought about it.

She was just finishing up her meditation when the door to the training room swung open and she heard, "There you are!" Buffy opened her eyes to see Logan striding over to her. "I've been looking all over for you. How dare you leave that room and not wake me?"

The next thing she knew, she was being pulled to her feet and into his arms. "Don't you dare scare me like that again. I thought I had lost you," he whispered hoarsely into her hair.

"I'll try not to," she said glibly as she hugged him back.

He pulled back to look her in the eyes. "I'm serious. You could have died."

"Hello, immortal here," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, death doesn't seem to take with me."  
Logan's chest squeezed at her statement. He let go of her and turned away to hid the tears that threatened to fall. "I wish you wouldn't joke about death like that."

Buffy shuddered slightly at the sudden loss of contact. "I'm sorry, but it's the only way I can deal. Death surrounds me, it's my job, and if I always take it seriously then I'll drown myself in my own despair."

"I think I sort of understand," he said, turning to face her after a few moments. Deciding to change topics he asked, "And why aren't you resting? Jean said you were going to take it easy and I find you in the training room."

"I am taking it easy," Buffy replied indignantly as she put her shoes on. "I ate, said hi to some people, did a simple kata to stretch and loosen my muscles, and then I meditated. And I really wish I could patrol, but I promised Jean I wouldn't."

"I'll patrol if you're worried about it."

"No, it's my responsibility."

"I can take care of myself. I've patrolled with you before; I know what to expect."

"But I was with you," she said as they headed out the door and back upstairs. "What if it's more than you can handle?"

"I'll take Nightcrawler with me and he can teleport us out if we run into trouble," he countered.

She thought it over for a few minutes before nodding. "Fine. But just do a simple sweep of the cemeteries and the typical haunts. That's all."  
"If it will help you rest easy, then yes."  
"Thanks, Logan."

He draped an arm across her shoulders and said with a smirk, "Told you I could help."

She unconsciously slipped her arm around his waist and moved in a little closer. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. No need to rub it in."

"Have you talked to Cyke yet?"

"Said hi, that's about it. Why?"

Logan shrugged. "He took your injury pretty hard. Think he might feel responsible."

"I'll talk to him."

"Good. Now let's get something to eat. You lost some weight just lying around like that." Then he neatly jumped out of the path of the punch heading for his face.

"Hey Scott," Buffy said from her position on the couch in the common area. She had been waiting in ambush for the mutant ever since Logan and Kurt had left for patrol. "What's up?"  
"Not much," he replied stiffly as he continued to make his way through the room.

"Sit and talk to me."  
"Ah, isn't there someone else you'd rather talk to?"

Buffy looked around the empty room. "Who?"

"I could send Rogue down," Scott suggested.

"But I want to talk to you."

He tensed. "Why?"

"Just sit and talk to me."

Scott sighed and sat at the opposite end of the couch. "What did you want to discuss?"

"Why you're avoiding me," she said as she moved so she was sitting next to him.

"I'm not..."

"Yes, you are." When he didn't respond she asked, "What's wrong? Hate me now that I've brought my world into yours and it's uglier than what you had originally thought?"

"No! Never. It's just... It's my fault you were injured. Despite all of my training and the precautions we've taken, I'm a liability in a fight. I shouldn't even be a x-man."

"But I'm fine, Scott."

"Yes, but you're immortal. I would have killed anyone else. I don't think I can take the risk anymore."

"Scott, you can't quit. You have the ability to do a lot of good, don't let this one incident stop you. If you do quit, what about the people you could have saved. How many demons did you kill that night?"

"At least twenty," he answered softly.

"Then there are twenty less demons out there trying to kill innocent humans. Not to mention you helped stop an apocalypse. You literally helped save the world because of your gift."

His brow furrowed as he thought about what she said.

"You can't keep beating yourself up over this," she added.

"Maybe you're right, but I still need to think about it."

She smiled. "Good. Now, you wanna watch a movie?"

"Sorry, but I have papers to grade," he said as he stood. "I'll talk to you later."

"Ok. But if you decide you still want to fight, I'd like to do some training with you and Logan."  
"At the same time?"

"Yes, at the same time."  
"You're braver than I thought," he said with a slight smile.

"Thanks," she said wryly. She snuggled down into the couch and began flipping through channels as she waited for Kurt and Logan to get back.

"I shall see you in the morning," Kurt said before heading up to his room.

"See ya, elf," Logan said. Hearing the tv on at such a late hour, he went to investigate.

A smile came unbidden to his lips when he saw Buffy curled up asleep on the couch. He turned off the tv and easily picked her up and carried her upstairs. It seemed strange that he had done the same thing only a week earlier after she had cried herself to sleep in his arms after denying the need for help; and now she had fallen asleep waiting for him to return from lending a helping hand.

"How was patrol?" She sleepily asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Quiet. Only two vampires that we quickly dusted."

"Good," she said and rested her head on her shoulder.

He carefully opened the door to her room and crossed to the bed. After pulling back the covers, he gently set her down.

"Stay," came her soft voice in the dark.

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

"Yes."

Logan went and shut the door, then removed his boots and belt. He laid down next to her and she snuggled against him.

"Mmm, nice and warm," she mumbled before falling back asleep.

He wrapped his arms around her and quickly followed her.

Logan awoke to the sweet sound of Buffy's voice. It didn't take him long to figure out that she had called L.A.

"Yes, Wesley I'm fine... All better... No, she won't let me yet... How bad was the thing on Monday?"

He let her side of the conversation fade out as he watched her. He had a hard time believing that such a beautiful creature was contemplating a relationship with him. At least, he thought she might be, he wasn't entirely sure. She was more vulnerable around him, allowed him to comfort her, and wanted to sleep in his arms; but refused to discuss her feelings for him. It was all very confusing.

Logan had already figured out that he loved her. He had been in a near panic when she wasn't in her bed when he woke up that morning. Even though she was staying to guard the hellmouth, he still feared that she would disappear. At times, she seemed to be too good to be true.

Buffy hung up the phone and turned to catch Logan staring at her. "What? Do I have bed hair?" She asked, one hand going up to her head.

Reaching out, he stopped her and brought her hand back down, but didn't let go. "No. You look perfect."

She blushed slightly and said, "I bet you say that to all of the girls."  
"No, just you."  
"Well... Things are fine in L.A.," she said in a rush. "Apocalypse averted, no one hurt, all is right with the world. Are you hungry? We slept through breakfast."

"Is it that late?" He asked, going with the subject change.

"Yeah. You were busy catching up on all of that sleep you lost while I was unconscious," she said lightly as she climbed out of bed.

"How'd you know that?"

"I have my ways," she said before slipping into the bathroom to change.

"That you do," he murmured to himself.


	19. Nineteen

Hello everyone! Long time, no see. I'm not even going to try and tell you when the next chapter will be up. I'm hoping two weeks, but we shall see. Real life is piling on top of me and it's a struggle to write sometimes.

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Tangled Junky, Creepy Draken, ice block, Ezmerelda, Sarah, Little Red Rabbit, harmoni9, LizaGirl, Captain Chameleon, Kyra2, AnthonyR, sparky24, Harry2, glitzydancingshoes, kain-abel, Dirbatua, thank you guys so much for your reviews!

PhoenixMoon 13, thank you so much for your patience, I really appreciate it.

CinnamonGrrl, a sort of smoochie in this chapter, but things will start to heat up a little soon. I'm starting to get to the good stuff.

Feel free to come and check out my webpage. You can find the address on my profile page.

Chapter Nineteen

Logan smiled as he watched Buffy fight the vampire. From the way she moved you would never know that she was on her deathbed only a week earlier. This was her first night on patrol since the near apocalypse she was easing herself into the fight. She had already let three staking opportunities pass as she let her body adjust to the physical exertion.

He had kept a close eye on her from the time she had awakened on Wednesday. Not to say he never watched her closely, but he made sure she was eating enough and wasn't wearing herself out during training. He could tell she wanted to protest, but could see the logic in his mother hen-ing.

Since Wednesday night, he and Kurt had patrolled every night to help keep her from worrying. Every night she fell asleep on the couch waiting for him and he'd carry her up to bed. He thanked god that every night she'd ask him to stay.

Logan wasn't quite sure what to do with all of his extra energy. He had gotten so much restful sleep in the past few days that his body coursed with energy. And spending so much time with Buffy was causing his senses to go in overload.

All he wanted to do was pull her to him and make her his. It took every ounce of his willpower to restrain himself, to wait until she was ready for him. Despite her physical and mental strength, she was extremely vulnerable emotionally. He felt they really had something going between them and he didn't want to screw it up by doing something incredibly stupid. So he forced himself to wait.

Buffy dusted the vampire and let out a loud, "Whoo hoo." Startling Logan, she took off in a run, then she launched herself into the air. Flipping, she landed in a perfect handstand on top of a tombstone.

"What are you doing?" He asked, walking over to her.

"Celebrating the fact that I'm no longer cooped up in the mansion," she said, not moving. She giggled slightly at his expression; it was an odd way of viewing him. His normally upward arched eyebrow looked like it had dropped.

"Celebrating like this?"  
"Yup." She pushed off and righted herself in the air. "What else would you expect from she who hangs out in cemeteries?"  
"Point taken."

She slipped her hand in his and they began walking. He was surprised at the action but didn't say anything. Buffy, however, was a little freaked but didn't pull away. She was scared about how easily letting him in was once she had taken the first step.

Everything that she did with him felt natural. Whether it was training, teaching, vegging out in front of the TV, or sleeping in his arms. That was the part that scared her the most. Being held in his arms was the most relaxing and right thing she had ever felt. Lying there encircled by his warmth, she felt as if her world was complete.

She was thankful that he wasn't pushing for more than what she was willing to give. Her feelings were already reeling; any more changes at the moment would send her flying and she'd lose herself. It had taken her a long time to figure out who she was and she wasn't about to let that go. Not that she was admitting that she was attracted to him, no way. That wasn't anywhere in her immediate thoughts or feelings. No siree.

"Doesn't it worry you that there haven't been a lot of vamps and demons out this week?" He asked.

"Nah. They tend to go into hiding for a few weeks after apocalypses."

"I don't know which is scarier - the fact that you can not be concerned about it or that there have been enough near apocalypses for you to see a pattern."

She shrugged. "You tend to get used to it in my line of work. You'll see, it'll happen to you."

"Planning on keeping me around for a while then?" He felt her hand tense in his and he cursed himself for saying anything.

Taking a deep breath to calm her suddenly rapidly beating heart, she smiled. _Nope, not attracted to him at all. _"You're the one wanting to stay, who am I to argue?"

Logan stopped and looked at her in shock. It was the closest she had ever come to actually admitting that there was something between them. Not wanting to push his luck, he smiled back and said, "I ain't going anywhere, darlin'."

"Good. Let's check one more cemetery before going home." She pulled him in the direction of his bike, wondering what was coming over her. She was practically admitting feelings that she didn't have.

He wondered if she even noticed that she called the mansion home.

_scenebreak_

"This is crazy," Scott said the next afternoon. He was in the danger room with Logan and Buffy for his first training session with them. He and Logan were each holding a sword.

"I have to agree with Cyke for once. This is nuts."

Buffy frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Part of the agreement we made that allowed you guys to help with the slaying was that I was in charge of the training."  
"But swords?" Logan asked, holding his up in disgust. "I've got claws. And his beams can cut them down." He didn't see Scott wince at the statement, but he could smell his pain. "Sorry kid, that ain't what I meant."

"I know," Scott said quietly.

"Scott's beams may not always work. For all we know, there's a demon out there invincible to everything but a sword," Buffy said.

"But I've got claws."

She growled in exasperation. "Claws that could cut Scott's sword while you practice. The sword is for you to train with Scott." He made a move to protest again, but she glared at him. "If the two of you want to work with me, you have to learn to get along."

Scott snorted and she whirled to face him. "If not get along, at least tolerate each other in a semi-pleasant manner."

"Buffy, I'm not sure we can..." Scott started.

"Yes, you can!" She countered. "The whole problem with the two of you is that you're both alpha males and you have different approaches to battle."  
"Hey!" They both protested.

"Argh!!! Scott, you're the leader of the X-men. You like to plan every battle to the letter, you think of everything that could possibly go wrong and keep an eye out for it. Am I right?"

"Yes," he said a little uneasily.

She turned to Logan. "You had your own squad in the wars. You planned too, but you've learned to follow your instincts, even if it takes you away from the original plan and goal."

Logan nodded.

"That's why you guys are at each other's throats. You are both determined to prove that your way is right. I hate to tell you, but you're both wrong."  
They looked at her in surprise and she sent them a smug look. She knew she had finally caught their full attention. "A blending works best in the demon world. You need to plan for all possible problems."

Scott started to beam, but she added, "But not be afraid to follow your instincts. My instincts have saved me more times that I can count."

She could see Logan beginning to gloat. "But a lot of times it was the planning that helped my instincts."  
"I think I get it," Scott said thoughtfully.

"Now are you ready to do some sword fighting?"

An hour later she stopped them for a breather. Scott was making some improvement. His frame was lighter than Logan's and it made him a little more nimble than the older man.

Logan, however, had obviously had training somewhere as each movement came quickly to him and his sword moved in a deadly dance around Scott.

"My turn," Buffy said as she pulled out another sword. She grinned as she stepped up to Logan and saluted him. Then quick as lightening, she attacked.

Scott sat back and watched the two spar. He had heard from the students about how the two seemed to move as one when they fought. He had to remind himself to breathe for the beauty of their motions was captivating. Not having to worry about hurting the other, they were able to release their full potential.

Watching them, Scott could now see why Rogue and Ororo seemed determined to get the two together. When Storm had first mentioned it, he shuddered at the thought of fixing Logan up with any woman, let alone someone as sweet and pretty as Buffy. Hell, he wouldn't wish Logan on his worst enemy.

But the more he watched their interactions and how they affected each other, the more he began to buy into it. They complemented each other nicely, playing off each others' strengths and weaknesses. It was a perfect blending.

"All right, you've had a long enough break," Buffy said, breaking into Scott's musings. "Both of you attack me, together.'  
Scott grinned and grabbed his sword as he stood. "Sure, sounds like fun."

_scenebreak_

"Buffy, I can't wear this," Rogue said as Buffy handed her a dark green cami. The two were out shopping with Ororo.

"Yes, you can."  
"No, I can't. It exposes too much of my skin."  
"Trust me," Buffy said. "You want to look good for Bobby on your date this Friday, right?"

"Well, yeah. But this..."  
"Then trust me."

"You might as well give in now," Ororo said in her softly accented voice. "Buffy is a woman on a mission."  
"Yup," Buffy agreed as she searched through a rack. "To make you look so delicious that Bobby will want to gobble you up."  
"But is that fair?" Rogue asked. "He can't, I'll hurt him." A suffering look appeared on her face. "Maybe I should just break it off. It's just not fair to him."

"Hey, what did I tell you about that?" Buffy asked, stopping her perusing to look at her friend.

"If he really likes me, it won't matter. But it still..."  
"Buffy's right," Ororo said. "Don't let your mutation keep you from living your life the way you want to."

"To let your mutation rule your life isn't fair to you," Buffy added. She handed her a small jean jacket. "See, you wear this over the cami and now minimal exposed skin. But it's still alluring."

Rogue smiled as she took the jacket. "That's so cute."  
"I told you to trust me. Now, you need shoes. You can never have too many shoes." And then she dragged them over to the shoes.

After several hours of shopping the girls finally took a break to eat. Their bags covered the ground around them at a small table in a corner of the food court.

"It was a successful day of shopping," Buffy said with a grin.

"You certainly are a marathon shopper," Ororo commented.

"I'm a baby compared to Cordy. She was a madwoman," the slayer said a bit wistfully.

"Cordy? I don't think you've mentioned her before," Rogue said as she popped a fry in her mouth.

"I went to high school with her, but she moved to L.A. when we graduated. She worked with Angel until she fell into a coma over a year ago."  
"What caused the coma?" Ororo asked.

Buffy shrugged. "She went evil for a while, gave birth to a bigger evil and went into a coma. The details are a little sketchy. But she was a half-demon that received visions from the PTB."  
"PTB?"

"Powers That Be. The ones who are responsible for a lot of the problems in my life," she answered sourly. "Can we talk about something else?"  
Ororo and Rogue exchanged a look before the southerner asked, "How are things with Logan?"  
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked, her hand freezing with her drink halfway to her mouth.

"Well he knows you like him, you know he likes you, and you spend an awfully large amount of time together."  
"Plus, I've seen him leaving your room in the mornings with the clothes he wore the day before on," Ororo added.

"We're friends," Buffy said slowly.

"Uh huh," Rogue said in a tone that clearly said that she didn't believe her.

"We are. There's nothing going on."  
"And denial is not just a river in Egypt," Rogue said with a grin.

"Why don't you just admit that you like him and make a move?" Ororo asked.

"'Ro!"  
"What? The tension between the two of you is torturous on the rest of us. You guys watch each other constantly. You're practically joined at the hip. Just go and kiss the man like I know you're just dying to do."

Buffy sputtered. Rogue and Ororo smiled at each other.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Rogue chimed in.

The slayer glared at them. "There's nothing going on between me and Logan."  
Ororo put her hands up in defeat. "Right. Whatever you say."  
"That's right," Buffy said, but she had the distinct feeling that she lost that argument.

_scenebreak_

Buffy and Logan were cuddled up on the couch watching TV later that night as she thought over what the girls had told her that afternoon. She looked up at him out of the corner of her eye, but his eyes were on the screen in front of them. She shifted slightly and he squeezed her lightly to him when she settled.

As much as she tried to deny it to herself, she had a deep attraction to the man. One that apparently others were noticing. Maybe Ororo was right, she should just kiss him and see what happened from there. It was just...

Her body tensed as something registered on her senses.

"What's wrong?" He asked, suddenly alert.

"Someone's here," she whispered as she stood. Following the sensation, she entered the hallway to the front door. Her body relaxed as she recognized the person talking to Scott.

"Buffy," the guys said as she approached.  
She threw her arms around him. "Oz! It's so good to see you. How did you know I was here?"  
"Angel."

"He's not human," Logan growled from behind her. Anger welled in his chest at seeing her hug another man.

"Werewolf actually," she answered as she pulled back.

"They're real, too?" Scott asked.

"Why not?" Buffy asked. "You've already seen vamps and demons, so why not werewolves? Oz dated Willow back in high school and college before moving away to find a way to control the wolf."  
"I'm so sorry about the others. I just found out," Oz said sadly.

"Where were you?"  
"Tibet."

"Doing what?"  
"Meditating."

Buffy grinned and hugged him again. "I've missed you."

Storm came rushing in. "Logan! Scott! The professor needs us to go on a mission. I'll give you the details in the jet."

"Sorry to cut this short, but it was nice to meet you," Scott apologized before running down the hall with Logan just behind him.

"Mission?" Oz asked.

"Mutants."  
"Ah. Thought they smelled strange."

She continued to stare down the hall where they had gone. She felt a little hurt that he hadn't even told her 'bye'.

"Go. I'll be fine here," Oz said softly after a few moments.

"Be right back," she said and she ran for the hanger. She got there just in time to see Scott enter the jet. "Logan!"

He turned in surprise to see her. "What?"

Buffy ran up to him and hugged him tightly. "Come back to me," she whispered.

"Always."

She pulled back and placed a quick kiss on his lips and then ran back out the door.


	20. Twenty

Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. :)

**Review responses:**

zayra, gaull, Kyra2, Vik, LilGreenImp, Tmctflyboy, Thank you guys so much for all of your reviews.

harmoni, this chapter gets a little fluffy, the next will be full of fluff. I just don't know if I can write it. This fic has been angsty for so long that now that it's getting to be lighter it feels a little strange. I like Oz, too. Here's hoping he's not too far out of character.

Harry2, have no fear, I won't stop writing, at least not for a while. I have waaaay too many fics in my head to stop anytime soon.

dontyousassmemister828, I haven't fully decided what to do about Cordelia, you'll just have to read and see. :) And Oz was a great character, honestly, I think he had some of the best lines in the show. I just hope I can do him justice.

organized-chaos, I'm afraid there is no snogging in this chapter, but there will be some in the next.

Water Block (ice block), yeah, I'm the teacher fanfic writer. Some of my students think I'm pretty cool about doing this too. And I try not to eat too many of my students, although they do say I'm kind of scary at times.

Slash-a-holic, I hope I continue to do Oz justice.

Honestly, thank you guys so much for sticking with me for this fic, even though my updating schedule is a little erratic. You guys are wonderful!!!

Chapter Twenty

Logan was completely unaware of the goofy smile on his face. The only thing that registered on his brain was the fact that that woman he loved wanted him to come back safe, and _she_ kissed _him_.

"Wolverine! Let's go!" Scott's voice came from inside the jet.

The smile never leaving his face, Logan turned around and joined Scott and Storm in the jet. As he strapped himself in, Ororo chuckled.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing. Absolutely nothing at all." Then she threw Scott a sly wink who just grinned in response.

"Where are we goin'?" Logan asked, still a little confused.

"Oklahoma," Storm answered, suddenly serious. "There's a mutant in trouble. Some of the locals are not responding well to the news that there is a mutant in their neighborhood."

"So it's a rescue mission?"

"One hundred percent," she answered.

Logan just nodded and stared out into space. He was fairly certain that Scott would come up with a plan of action before they got there so he let his mind drift back to the quick kiss Buffy had given him.

Was he suppose to take that as some sort of sign that she was ready for a relationship? Or was she just so worried about him not coming back that it was a last minute thing? Either way he got to feel her lips against his one more time. And if he had any say in it, it was going to happen again.

_scenebreak_

After introducing Oz to the professor and getting a room picked out for him, Buffy began the tour of the mansion.

"Do you still have the werewolf under control?" She asked as they walked down the hallways.

"Yeah. I left Tibet because I'm able to control the change at will."

"Really?" She asked in some surprise and he just nodded. "Did Angel and Wesley catch you up on everything that happened since you left?"

"The major details. They said if I wanted more then it was up to you. Although, I'll kind of understand if you don't want to talk about it," he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Eh, most of the details are boring anyways. But the big news is that there's a hellmouth here," she said in mock excitement. "Apparently when one permanently closes another opens. At least, that's Wesley's theory."

"And you're immortal now?"

"Guess so," she said with a shrug. They entered the elevator that took them to the lower levels.

"And these guys fight evil mutants?"

"Yeah, although I haven't seen any evil mutants yet. But they seem to be able to take care of themselves in a fight. We've already stopped one apocalypse."

"You've been here how long?" Oz asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Little over a month. Life's never boring. At least, not mine."

They continued the tour through the lower levels with Buffy filling in most of the silence with idle chatter about the school and students. She explained how she taught a self-defense class with Logan.

As she opened the door to the demon library Oz looked around with a faint smile on his face. "Huh. Almost like old times."

"Almost," she said wistfully. Then breaking her sudden melancholy, she said brightly, "Let me show you my room, that way you know how to find me."

Buffy led him upstairs and opened the door to her room. She had been there long enough that her room reflected her personality and tastes.

Oz turned to look at her. "You and Logan, huh?"

"What do you mean, 'me and Logan'?"

"Well, your room smells like him."

"Oh, that. He's just been sleeping over for the past few nights," she said quickly. Then realizing how that sounded she added, "But there's nothing going on."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Really, there's not," she protested. At his continued silence, she said, "Ok, maybe something. I don't know. It's very confusing."

"But it's clear enough for you to sleep with him?"

"We're just sleeping!" She insisted. "That's it! No smoochies or anything!"

"I can smell him on your skin." 

"Did anyone ever tell you that the werewolf smelling thing was kind of creepy?"

"Actually, yes. Cordelia told me." 

"She would," Buffy muttered. "So, you hungry?" She asked, trying to steer the conversation to less confusing topics.

"I ate before I came here."

"Watch some TV?" 

At his nod, she led him to the empty common room. They took a seat on the couch and she turned on the TV.

"But you do like him," he said after a few minutes of watching her flip through the channels.

"Huh?"

"You do like him." 

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Did Angel send you here to check up on me?"

"No. I just came to visit."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said slowly.

"Ok," she said simply and turned back to the TV.

"But you do like him."

"Maybe... I think so... It's complicated, Oz," she said with a sigh. 

"Feelings are not complicated," he said evenly, studying her. "You either have them or you don't."

Buffy opened her mouth to reply but realized that there was nothing she could say to refute it, then closed her jaw with an audible click. Then her eyes narrowed suspiciously again. "Did Fred set you up to this? Because I know she got close to 'Ro and Rogue while she was here and they were just on me today about this. Did she?"

"No. I was just making an observation," he said blandly.

She stared hard at him to see if he was lying or not. But Oz had always been good at keeping his thoughts and feelings close to the chest, making it damn near impossible to read him. She also knew, however, that he wasn't one to deceive people so she took his words at face value.

"I don't know," she said finally, tucking her feet up under her. "I just don't know anymore. I'm not even sure he likes me."

Oz smiled at her. "I think you underestimate him and yourself." Then he turned back to the TV.

_scenebreak_

It was nearly five am when Logan wearily walked through the mansion back to his room. Smelling Buffy and Oz in the common room, he took a small detour to find the two asleep on the couch with a snowy TV in front of them.

The two were doing nothing more than sleeping. They weren't even touching each other, but he still felt an urge to claw the boy. But Logan knew that Oz was a friend of Buffy's from back home and she had so few of them left that he was unwilling to act on his jealous instincts.

Instead, he gently shook Oz's knee. The redhead blinked his eyes several times and looked up at the mutant standing over him.

"Why don't you go up to bed, kid?"

Oz nodded and moved to wake Buffy, but Logan stopped him. "I'll get her." Oz studied him for a minute, then nodded and stood.

Logan easily scooped Buffy into his arms and followed Oz up the stairs. The werewolf kept going to his room while Logan stopped and entered Buffy's room. He set her down in her bed and tried to leave.

"You came back to me," she murmured, holding him tight.

"Told you I would, darlin'."

"Then where are you going?"

"No where," he assured her. "I'm just taking off my boots."

"Mmkay. How was the mission?" She sleepily asked.

"Rescued a kid. Damn scary. She's able to blend into her surroundings like a chameleon."

"I can see where people would be upset with that."

"You knew?" 

"The professor filled me in." As he climbed into bed, she asked, "Did you and Scott behave yourselves?"

"Yes, now go back to sleep." "Sleeping," she murmured before drifting off. 

He smiled to himself and pulled her to him before falling asleep.

_scenebreak_

"It was cool of you guys to invite me out," Oz said as he stood next to a pool table with Scott and Logan the following night.

"Ah, we've got to confess, we had an ulterior motive," Scott said.

"To check me out. Discover my intentions towards the X-Men and Buffy," Oz said while selecting a cue.

"Well, that was secondary," Scott admitted. "You're actually here to act as a buffer between Logan and I."

"If you two don't get along, why go out to a bar together?"

"Buffy's on a mission. She wants us to get along," Logan said as he lined up his first shot. "Personally we think she's crazy, but..."

"You'd do anything for her," Oz finished for him.

"It's kind of hard not to," Logan agreed, knocking the nine ball into the pocket.

"So how long have you known Buffy?" Scott asked.

"Since her junior year, my senior - well, my first senior year. I started dating Willow and she was Willow's best friend."

"Willow was the witch?" Scott asked while Logan move around the table to make another shot.

"Yeah, but she was more than that," Oz said with a faraway look on his face. "She was smart, funny, beautiful, and had this tendency to babble."

Logan caught the wistfulness in Oz's voice and the scent of deep sadness. He knew at that moment he had nothing to worry about. Oz was a one-woman kind of guy and he had already found her.

"I kind of got involved with the demon slaying that way," Oz continued.

"And then you became a werewolf," Scott said.

"It wasn't Buffy's fault. I was visiting my little cousin what happens to be a werewolf. He doesn't like to be tickled so he bit me."

"If you loved Willow so much, why'd you leave?" Logan asked after missing a shot.

"It's a personal story," Oz said, watching Scott choose a shot. "But I came back several months later to find out she was in love with someone else. Normally I'm a pretty calm guy, but there was something about Willow. I couldn't stay around her while she carried another's scent - I would lose control. So I left again."

Logan nodded in understanding. "She was essentially your mate. It enraged your wolf to have someone invade your territory. Wait... you could smell the other guys' scent in human form?"

"The other girl's scent actually. It's one of the side effects - heightened sense of smell," Oz said, eyeing Logan carefully.

The mutant's eyes narrowed. "And you can smell other people's scent on others?"

"Yeah." "So you know...?" 

"I know that you and Buffy are really attracted to each other. At least, I know she's attracted to you. That's all I got out of her."

"She's... she's really attracted to me?"

Scott laughed. "I never thought I'd see the day when Logan was unsure of himself."

"Shut it, Cyke," Logan growled. 

"Hell yeah she likes you," Scott continued as Oz went to make a shot. "Not just any girl would throw her arms around you and give you a goodbye kiss before leaving on a mission."

"She did. Didn't she," Logan said softly.

"Why haven't you asked her out?" Scott asked.

"Don't want to push her."

"There is such a thing as waiting too long," Oz said, missing his second shot. "You wait too long and she might think you're not interested and start looking elsewhere."

"You don't think she'd... Cause I would... Cause... Shit," Logan said. "I need a beer," he grumbled as he walked away.

"So who set you up to this?" Scott asked after Logan was out of earshot. "Was it Storm and Rogue?"

"Nah. Could see it and smell it for myself," Oz said with a shrug. "I was thinking about sticking around and helping Buffy with the hellmouth. Life will just be easier if they got together."

_scenebreak_

"Well this is a nice change of pace," Buffy said, walking into the common room after patrol. Logan was stretched out on the couch watching the TV, waiting for her. She smiled and sat down next to him.

"Oh, hey darlin'," he said haltingly.

She tensed up. "What's wrong? You didn't kill Oz or Scott did you? 'Cause that would be bad."

"No, it has nothing to do with them. I just wanted to talk to you about something."

Suddenly nervous, Buffy rose and began pacing. "You're leaving aren't you? I knew it. It was just too good to be true. You start to let someone in and they just up and leave ya."

"No, Buffy! It's not like that," Logan said, moving to stand in front of her. "I'm not leaving you."

"Then what's wrong? You look like someone's died?'

"I was just going to ask if you wanted to go on a date," he nearly yelled, then he froze when he realized what words had left his mouth.

Buffy looked up at him in surprise. "A date? You mean like a real date where we dress up and go out to eat and maybe someplace else, stay out real late, and there's not slaying involved? You mean that kind of date?"

"Well, yeah, that kind of date."

"And that is the cause of the look of sheer terror on your face?" She asked, a little hurt by it.

"Yes.. I mean, no. Well, sort of. I wasn't sure how to ask or what your answer would be," he explained lamely.

"Oh," she said and she stared at him while she contemplated her decision. Saying yes would mean admitting out loud that she felt something for him. She had been denying the attraction for so long and it was getting harder to do so. The thought of finally admitting it was almost like a relief to her. And really could she say no to someone who cared so much about her that he exhibited great patience towards her and their relationship.

She was taking so long to respond that Logan began to worry. "I understand if you don't want to go. I mean..."

The tiny blonde placed two fingers over his lips. "I'll go. Saturday night?" She asked.

He mutely nodded. It was like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he could now fly. He could hardly believe that she said yes.

"Great. Now let's get some sleep, I'm tired." She said with an impish grin as she led him up the stairs.


	21. TwentyOne

Hello everyone! I meant to have this out sooner but real life kind of screwed that up. There's an important author's note at the end of the chapter.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy Hannukah, or just a Happy Holiday!

Review Responses:

Ezmerelda, Kyra2, Prophetess of Hearts, Harry2, Vera, dawn of the new world, vik, water block, gaull,

booyah, I'm not telling yet how much full control he has over his wolf. :)

Angie, we also don't have mutants, vampires, and demons either. I have several Canadian readers who didn't comment on my choice. Remember, AU.

Harmoni, nope, Oz was acting all on his own. And I think that writing the date was even harder for me than writing fight scenes.

lil-sis4556, apparently you haven't been reading my author notes. I don't appreciate those kind of reviews, they really piss me off. I did some research and you seem to leave these kind of reviews everywhere. You need to learn review etiquette, that is not the proper way to leave a review. Read through and see ones left by Catlimere or Harmoni, or Harry2, or Kyra2. Those are proper reviews. If you leave another review like that, I will consider it harrassment and do something about it. Yes, I'm a bitch. See how much I care?

LittleDrusilla, I love Spike too. So imagine my heartbreak when I had to kill him.

A/N:

I'm not sure if Oz will get a love interest. At least, not in this fic. He might have one in the sequel, but I won't guarantee it.

Chapter Twenty-One

Buffy kept pacing her room while she waited for Logan. She would occasionally pause to check her reflection in the mirror, but then would quickly resumed her pacing.

Logan had refused to tell her where they were going, just to dress nicely. So here she stood in a simple green, silk dress that Rogue had helped her pick out. She only hoped she was properly attired for the evening's activities.

It had been years since she had technically gone on a real date. She didn't count dinner with Robin Wood; it had been more of his way of showing her that he knew who she was. She and Spike never really went out, just... well there was no dating involved in what they were doing. Riley had been the last guy to take her out and that seemed like ages before her second death.

God, but she was nervous. It wasn't like she had never been alone with Logan before. They went out slaying every night, trained together, and had even been sleeping in the same bed for nearly two weeks. But this was different.

This was them admitting to the sparks that had been flying between them over the past month and a half. This was them taking that first step beyond the boundaries of friendship. This was her stepping out of the nice safe box she had placed herself in since Spike died. This was... frightening.

She stopped and stared at herself in the mirror. The big, bad, immortal slayer was afraid of one little date. No, correct that. She was afraid of what the date represented and the consequences.

Buffy was moving on and was finally accepting her friends' deaths. There had been evidence of it before, but this was a declaration of sorts. No longer would she be able to use that pain as an excuse.

But what happened if things didn't work out for her and Logan in a romantic way? She'd be losing a wonderful friend. _But what if he's the one? _A voice in the back of her mind asked. _What if all your previous relationships were to prepare you for this one?_

The tiny blonde stopped her nervous thoughts and considered it. It was possible that this man was _the one_. He was a capable fighter, wasn't threatened by her strength, didn't try to protect her, and didn't try to coddle her. Well, he coddled her in a way, but it was more of a general health way - making sure she ate properly and got enough sleep. But never like she was a precious doll who couldn't take care of herself.

Yes, Logan was definitely different from the others. Her breathing calmed and her heart stopped racing. This could be the right thing to do after all.

* * *

Logan nervously ran his hand through his hair as he did a final check in the mirror. He couldn't believe that Rogue had talked him into wearing these clothes. But she had insisted that Buffy would love them, and he wanted everything to be just right that night. 

Storm had been quite helpful when he had asked for suggestions for the night's activities. He couldn't remember ever going on a date, at least, not in the last fifteen years. He must have taken Jennifer, his late wife, out at some point, but it was buried deep under his brainwashing.

He was extremely thankful for all of Storm's suggestions since he knew next to nothing about the surrounding area. She had also been the one to suggest that he kept Buffy in the dark so that each place they went was a pleasant surprise. He hoped they were, anyway.

Buffy was just so important to him that he wanted everything to be perfect. She had sacrificed so much over the years that he wanted to show her that the sacrifices were no longer necessary. That he was going to do everything possible to ensure her happiness.

Through the wall, he could hear Buffy pacing in the next room. Yet another reason to make sure things went well this evening. She was risking a lot by doing this. If this date fell apart, then she might retreat back behind the walls he had carefully been breaking down.

Logan glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He grabbed keys and a small envelope off his dresser and headed out the door.

Standing outside of her room, he took a deep breath before knocking. A moment later the door opened to reveal a vision of beauty.

Her long, blonde hair was loose and cascaded down her back in huge gentle curls. The green slip dress she wore clung to her curves. He was pleased to see that the weight she had lost while she was recovering had returned to fill out her thin frame. The bottom hem of the dress hung in an asymmetrical line to reveal tanned legs. Buffy's normal hazel eyes became green with the dress' influence.

He found himself rooted to the spot unable to say or do anything. The world around him faded, leaving only him and Buffy.

"What's wrong?" She asked nervously.

"Nothing," he said softly. "You just look... so beautiful."

She smiled. "Thanks, you're not looking too bad yourself," she said as she took in the soft brown polo shirt he was wearing that emphasized his muscular upper body. Someone had talked him out of his normal jeans and into dark brown chinos. Her eyes twinkled as she noticed he was still wearing his cowboy boots.

"Rogue helped a little," he admitted.

"I figured. Her and Storm have been awfully nosy about this whole date thing. You'd think they had arranged the whole thing."

"You'd think," he said with a grin. "Ya ready?"

She nodded and slipped her hand into his. As they walked down the hall she asked, "Where are we going?"

"Ain't telling you yet, darlin'."

* * *

Buffy looked around the small pub with interest. The lighting was dim, but it was cozy more than suffocating. In fact, the whole atmosphere was comfortable and helped ease her anxiety. 

It had taken them an hour to get to New York City in Scott's car. Logan had mumbled something about the boy scout offering it for the night. But she could hardly believe that Logan brought her to the big city for their first date.

After parking the car in a garage, they walked through Times Square and she couldn't help but feel like a tourist as she tried to take in all the sights. He led her onto one of the streets off of the main strip and into one of the small buildings.

"What's this place called again?" She asked.

"The Pig 'N Whistle," he said as a waitress came over to the table.

"What can I get you to drink?" She asked in a slight Irish brogue.

"A beer," Logan said.

"Diet coke or pepsi, whichever you have," Buffy answered.

The waitress placed two menus in front of them before leaving to get their drinks.

"What's good here?" She asked as she opened the menu.

"Dunno, never been here before," he answered as he opened his own.

She lowered her menu to stare at him. "Then how and why did you choose this place?"

"I asked Storm for suggestions since I don't really know the area," he answered.

"This doesn't really seem like her kind of place," Buffy said, looking around.

"No, but she said it would fit us. I like it," he said.

"Me too," Buffy said shyly as she went back to perusing the menu.

By the time the waitress returned with their drinks, they were ready to order. She took their menus and the couple was left alone once again.

"What else are we doing this evening?"

He quirked an eyebrow up. "Dinner not enough?" He asked teasingly.

Buffy's eyes widened in alarm. "Yes, it is. It's just... I figured there was more since we came all the way here. I mean, we could've eaten dinner in Westchester."

"It's ok, Buffy," he said with a chuckle. "Yes, there's more."

"Then what?" She asked in excitement. "I mean, we're in New York City. There's so much we could do that I'm not even sure where to start guessing."

"Not telling."

She pouted. "Please tell me."

He refused to look at her. "No fair. That's cheatin'. It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Fine, I'll wait," she said with a little smile. She was truly touched by his efforts to take her on a true date. Things were definitely looking up.

* * *

"I'm so stuffed I can barely move," Buffy said as they walked back onto the street. She slipped her arm around Logan's waist and he returned the favor. 

He grinned down at her. "I'm not surprised. You even had dessert."

"They all sounded so scrumptious that I couldn't help myself," she said. "The chicken was so good that I figured the desserts would be heavenly if they were even half as good."

They navigated their way down the street enjoying each other's company and the atmosphere. Buffy was so relaxed and content that she didn't even think to ask where they were going until they turned down another street and he slowed their pace. Her eyes widened as she read the sign on the building they were approaching.

"That's Studio 54," she whispered.

"Huh?"

"It was this huge nightclub in the seventies. All sorts of famous people would go there," she said in awe. "I didn't realize it was till open."

"I hate to tell ya, but that ain't why we're here," he said, a little worried now. He steered her into a separate line going into the building. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small envelope.

Buffy looked around in confusion. "Cabaret?"

"It's a play or a musical or somethin'," he said nervously.

"A Broadway show," she said in obvious delight. "I've never seen a real play before. This is so cool."

Logan handed their tickets over to an usher, who led them into what looked like a seedy nightclub. Little tables with bentwood chairs covered the area where normal auditorium seats would be. The usher stopped at a table on the center aisle, just behind the main floor. They were only about fifteen feet away from the stage.

They had no sooner sat down when a waitress came and took their drink orders.

"This is so cool," Buffy said again as she began looking through the program. "I don't get why they are selling t-shirts that say 'life is beautiful', but it's still cool."

Logan, for his part, could only sit there and smile goofily at her. He had never seen her this open and happy before. In a space of a few hours she went from breathtakingly beautiful to luminescent.

"Oh my god," she said.

"What?" He asked in concern.

"Did you see who is in this?"

"No," he admitted. Storm had suggested the show along with a few others. She had given him basic plots to choose from, but other than that, he knew nothing about it. Of all the plays she had given him, this one interested him the most.

"Doogie Howser and Debbie Gibson."

"Who?"

"Debbie was a pop singer in the eighties. I had all of her tapes. And Doogie, well his real name is Neil Patrick Harris. But there was this show called Doogie Howser that I used to watch as a kid," she said excitedly. "I can't believe I'm going to see them live." She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. "This is wonderful. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said, hugging her back.

She released him and sat back in her chair. "You realize this has singing in it?"

"I'll manage," he said as the waitress brought their drinks. A few minutes later, the lights dimmed to signal the beginning of the show.

Buffy's eyes were riveted to the stage as the Emcee came out to welcome them. It took her a moment to realize that she was seeing Doogie Howser. This made up man with rouged cheeks and darkly outlined eyes was completely removed from the wide-eyed young doctor he had once played.

Before long, Buffy and Logan were caught up in 1930's Berlin and the strange relationship of Cliff and Sally. Most scenes were followed by a song that was almost like a running commentary. Despite the almost dizzyingly switches from scenes in the Kit Kat Club to other places and a slightly disjointed storyline, the story was easy to follow.

It was Sally's wishful thinking in _Maybe This Time _that pulled at Buffy's heartstrings. Poor Sally seemed to have almost the same luck with men as she did. The difference being that Sally left herself open to new love, determined to keep searching until she found the one. Whereas Buffy tended to retreat further into herself.

Buffy blinked back her tears and looked over at Logan through the corner of her eye. He was definitely a good reason to open her heart. Nothing risked, then nothing gained. She reached out for his hand and turned her attention back to the stage.

* * *

The end of the night found the couple standing outside of Buffy's room as they awkwardly tried to end the date. 

"I had a wonderful time," Buffy said. "Cabaret was amazing."

"It was, wasn't it," he said.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?"

"A night of normalcy. Showing me it's ok to move on. Not letting me shut myself in. Pick one, they all apply."

Logan reached out and pulled her close. "You're worth it."

"Are you sure?" She asked, a little bit of fear creeping into her voice.

His head dipped closer to hers. "Positive," he said as he paused with his lips only inches from her own. He didn't want to rush her, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could restrain himself. She was so close and tantalizing.

Buffy, however, took the worry out of his hands as she closed the distance herself. Her body tingled as she became attuned to every place on her body that touched Logan.

Their first kiss, which had only been a few short weeks before, had been rough and passionate. This one was no less passionate, but was more of a gentle exploration.

His hands pulled her tighter to him and the intensity of the kiss increased. His body screamed for more, but he didn't want to scare her by pressing it. For the moment, he was more than content to bask in the glory that she was.

Buffy's senses were on overload. She had never been affected by one kiss like this before. Her skin felt hot and yearned for more direct contact with his own. Ordinarily it would have scared her, but everything about him felt so right.

She didn't even realize that he had pressed her against the wall until she heard someone clearing their throat. With great effort, she and Logan pulled themselves out of their haze.

"You could take that into an actual room," Scott pointed out.

Logan growled softly at the interruption, while Buffy's already flushed face got redder.

"Just saying, a student could walk through here coming to one of us with an emergency," Scott said innocently.

"Ya proved your point, now beat it," Logan said.

Scott grinned and continued down the hall to his room with his glass of milk.

"I feel like I just got caught by my mother," Buffy said with a giggle as she buried her face in Logan's chest in embarrassment.

"He certainly acts like one sometimes," Logan agreed.

She lifted her head up and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "It is kind of late, we should turn in."

"We should," he said as he kissed her.

"I'll see you in the morning," she said as she slipped out of his arms and opened her door.

"Huh?"

"You didn't think I'd let you sleep in here tonight did you? It's not proper for a guy to sleep over on the first date."

He could only stare at her in surprise.

She went up on her tiptoes to kiss him one more time. "I'll see you in the morning." Then she went into her room and softly shut the door.

* * *

Logan awoke as his senses detected another person in his room. A scent of power and femininity overlaid with strawberry shampoo flooded his nose and he smiled. He pulled back the covers so Buffy, clad in a cami and little shorts, could join him. 

"I thought this wasn't proper," he teased as she snuggled up against him.

"Screw that," she said with a snort.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No. You?"

"Barely. I had just fallen asleep when you came in."

"Sorry," she said.

"Don't be."

After a few moments, she said, "Boxers huh?"

"What?"

"You normally keep your jeans on when you sleep in my room," she said as she slipped one of her bare legs in between his. "This is much better."

"I'll try to remember that," he said as he slipped one hand under her cami to rest it on the small of her back.

She gave him a lingering kiss before settling back down. "Night."

"Night, darlin'."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I know the date was a little strange for Logan. But hear me out. Storm and Rogue helped for one thing. The other, Cabaret is not a happy go lucky musical. At least, not that version. It's very dark and carries a lot of deep undertones. The one that was showing in NYC was a gritty version that could shock anyone to their core. My husband, a fullblood redneck loved the show. I figured if he could like it, so could Logan. If you don't know the show I suggest buying the cd from the Revival. Don't buy the original or the one from the movie. The movie is absolutely awful. They've changed the story and the tone of the show.

Plus, when this fic is set, this show would have either been closed already, or the cast I listed was replaced by then. I claim AU. I used the play as a vehicle for certain points, some of which become clearer in the next chapter, and I used the actors cause they were the ones I saw in the show. Really, their performances were mind blowing.


	22. Twenty Two

Ok everyone, here it is. What you've all been waiting for... the next chapter! Just a few things before you read...

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1. I'm stopping the email update notice. I'm getting a lot of returned emails. If you want to know when I update you can do it through the site, or you can join my website update list.

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2. Updates should be picking up since this is now my only WIP. I'm not saying I'll be updating every week, but it won't be months between posts anymore.

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3. I'm not doing review responses this time because it's been so long since I've updated I'm sure you've forgotten what you put in your review. Just know that I appreciate every single one of them and that you guys kick ass!

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4. Had to up the rating of the fic cause of the last scene...

Chapter Twenty-Two

Oz took his time lining up his first shot. "How did the date go?" He casually asked, never looking up at Logan who stood at the other end of the pool table.

Logan didn't even try to suppress the goofy smile that spread across his face.

"That well, huh?" Scott said with a grin of his own. "I noticed my car made it back in one piece. Not to mention that little tryst outside her door."

"She have to do any emergency slaying?" Oz asked before Logan could retort and start an argument.

"Nah."

Oz just nodded as he moved around the table to pick his next shot.

"So where did you take her?" Scott asked.

"Bein' awful nosy about this ain't ya, One-eye?"

"Hey, just making sure you're taking care of our girl."

"Your girl?" Logan asked with a growl, stepping up to Scott.

"Our girl."

Oz continued to ignore them as he sank his second shot. He understood Logan's possessiveness and recognized it for what it was - fear and love. The gruff man had grown to love the petite slayer and he feared every possible threat to their happiness together. Oz had experienced the same feelings when he had been with Willow. He just hoped Logan didn't let it control all of his actions because it would upset Buffy very fast.

"She's not your girl," Logan growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. "She's mine."

"Fine, she's your girl. Where did you take your girl?" Scott asked, not backing down.

"To dinner and a play."

Surprise registered in Scott's voice. "A play? What play?"

"Cabaret," Logan said, taking a puff on his cigar.

Scott gaped at him in shock for a moment before saying, "Logan... that's a musical."

"Yeah, what of it?" Logan asked, going on the defensive.

"You willingly took her there?" Scott asked in confusion.

"Yeah, I did, Cyke. What's the shock?"

"It's a musical."

"You've said that already," Logan pointed out.

"But it's a musical."

"With suitably dark themes," Oz added.

"See," Logan said. "Dark themes."

"It doesn't have a happy ending," Scott said.

"Buffy liked it. She had never seen a play before," Logan said loftily.

"But Cabaret?"

"You sound like a broken record, bub. Knock it off, you're pissin' me off." Logan said setting his cigar in an ashtray. He moved around the table to make his first shot.

"The show is also about hope," Oz added, hopefully heading the argument off before it got out of hand. He added softly to Scott, "At least they went out."

"Yeah. You guys gonna go out again?"

"Wednesday night," Logan said with a grin, making his shot.

"Have a seat guys," Buffy told Bobby and Rogue. She and Logan had just finished one of their extra defense lessons with them. She and Logan joined them on the mat. "Wolvie and I have been talking and we've decided to take you patrolling Friday night."

Rogue and Bobby grinned at each other. "That is so cool," Bobby said.

"What made you change your mind?" Rogue asked.

"One day in the future there will probably be an apocalypse that will need magic," Buffy said sadly. "I'll need you guys there, but I also need to know that you can handle yourselves. So every once in a while we'll take you patrolling so you won't freak."

The two teens were practically bouncing in excitement.

"Now don't get too excited," Logan said. "We're only takin' ya to some of the smaller hangouts."

"There's also a condition," Buffy added, smiling as they suddenly became suspicious.

"What kind?" Rogue asked.

"I need to experience your mutation," Buffy said seriously.

Rogue's eyes widened. "You want ta what?"

"I need you to touch my hand with yours and no fabric in between."

"But..."

"I have to know what it's like. What if you got thrown on top of me during a fight and it happens accidentally? I need to know what to expect."

"Otherwise no patrolling," Logan said.

"It doesn't have to be for long. Just enough for me to get an idea."

Rogue looked fearfully at Logan. "She'll be in my head, too. I don't want to hurt her."

"What do you mean I'll be in your head?" Buffy asked. When Rogue didn't answer she looked over at Logan. "Well?"

"She doesn't just absorb life forces or powers or whatever it is that Chuck calls it, but she gets memories or something like that. Poor thing has me and Magneto plus a few others swimming around in her head," Logan explained.

Buffy chewed on her bottom lip as she thought it over. "What has the professor been doing to teach you control?" She finally asked.

"Nuthin' yet. He's not sure how to help me," Rogue said softly.

The slayer frowned. "Not even meditation to organize all those personalities?"  
"No."

"When we're done, go talk to Oz. He'll help you. All he's done for the past four years is meditate," Buffy said.

"Why?" Logan asked.

"That's how he learned to control the wolf inside him." She turned back to Rogue. "Give me a moment to center myself and then we'll try this. Hopefully I can shield myself enough so that all you'll get is some energy and maybe powers."

"That won't help you in the field," Logan warned. "There's no way to center yourself."

"I know, but I'm trying to make this easier for her," Buffy said. Then she closed her eyes and looked inward. After a few minutes she opened her eyes and held out her hand. Seeing the fear on the girl's face she smile encouragingly. "You won't hurt me."

Rogue gave her the barest of nods and pulled the glove off of her right hand. Without saying a word, she reached out and took Buffy's hand. They gasped at the contact and held each other's gaze. Logan and Bobby watched and waited to see if they were needed to break them apart.

After what seemed like an eternity to them, they dropped their hands. "Wow," they said together.

"That was..." Rogue began.

"Intense," Buffy finished.

"How do you feel?" Logan asked anxiously.

"Fine," Buffy said.

"Strong," Rogue replied.

Logan stood up. "Hit me."

"What?" Rogue asked in surprise.

"Let's find out how strong. Hit me."

Rogue sent him a look that clearly said she thought he was nuts, but stood anyways. She slipped her glove back on her right hand with practiced ease, then she punched him. She couldn't stop the squeak of surprise when he went flying across the room.

"How long do you have someone else's abilities?" Buffy asked, a small smile on her face as she watched Logan stand.

"Depends on how long I touched someone. Don't know for sure."

"I suggest being very careful for the next couple of hours. You won't believe how easy it is to break things. In fact, make sure your glass at dinner is plastic," Buffy suggested, remembering the difficulties she once had with her own newfound abilities.

"How's the head?" Logan asked.

"Fine, she's just barely there, more of an impression."

"See told you I wasn't that bright."

Bobby rolled his eyes. "I don't know why you try to make us believe you're dumb, we all know you're not."

"That transparent huh?"

"Yup."

"Damn, 'cause like, I try so hard, and there's like total craziness and smart people around," Buffy said in her best valley girl accent making the teens laugh.

Logan grinned with them as he saw happiness sparkle in Buffy's eyes. She was finally starting to relax and accept the fact that people were going to care for her whether she wanted them to or not. As a result she laughed more and life seemed to return to her soul. Nothing could make him happier.

"Wow," Buffy breathed as she got off the bike and walked into the small clearing. Once again Logan had surprised her by taking her into the wooded mountains for a moonlit date. "This is beautiful, Logan. How did you find it?"

"Back when you were mad at me. I went out riding trying to cope with... well coping," he said stepping up behind her. He slid his muscular arms around her slim waist and held her close. A look of happiness shone in his eyes as she leaned into him and rested her head on his chest.

She looked down at the sparking lights in the valley below them. "It looks so peaceful down there. It's hard to believe that it's a literal mouth to hell."

"With a kick ass slayer and her friends to guard it," he assured her.

"I shouldn't drag you guys into my fight," she said softly.

"We chose, there wasn't any dragging," he said, turning her around to look at him. "We want to help so you're stuck with us, got it?" At her reluctant nod, he grinned. "Now I'm hungry so let's eat."

Buffy couldn't stop the laugh that issued forth. "I can't believe you're taking me a picnic at night. It's crazy."

"No one ever said I was sane, darlin'," he replied as he got the basket and the blanket from the back of the bike. He set the basket down before spreading the large blanket on the ground. Making himself comfortable he gestured for her to join him.

An hour later, they were cuddled together looking up at the night sky. Buffy was finding herself utterly relaxed and content to just be. It was an odd sensation to her but it was one that she could easily get used to.

"I didn't realize that it could be so peaceful at night," she said after a while.

"Huh? You go out and patrol nearly every night."

"That's different. I go out knowing that evil is lurking somewhere and it's up to me to stop it. Plus, there are people and cars and other noises. It's almost claustrophobic. But this is different. I can't feel any evil, there's no one around us, no demands on me. It's just us, the night, and the stars. It's peaceful."

When he didn't respond, she turned her head to see him looking at her with an unreadable expression. She flushed slightly. "Sorry, turned into deep, insightful, babble Buffy. I promise to try and curb it, but..." She was cut off by him pressing his lips to hers. Buffy instantly found herself drowning in the passion he stirred in her only to have it stop when he pulled away.

"You said us," he whispered.

"Huh?" She said, her brain not following.

"You mentioned us. Twice," Logan said. He couldn't believe that something so simple could turn him into such a sap.

"Well, yeah," she said a bit uncertainly. "I mean we are dating. This is us on our second date and I just figured... I mean I could be wrong... Why are you smiling?"

"Are you always like this when you're unsure about yourself?"  
"What, the babbling?"

"Yes."

"Usually, yeah." She looked at him through her eyelashes. "We are together, right?" She asked softly.

"I thought so, otherwise this is about to get awkward."

A mischievous grin appeared on her lips as she moved until she was straddling him. Her blonde hair framed her face and curtained them from the world around them. "You mean this?" She asked, closing the distance.

She gently brushed her lips against his and grinned in satisfaction at his groan from the brief contact. Dipping her head again, she flicked her tongue along his lower lip, begging for entrance. His lips parted and her tongue slid inside, eliciting a soft moan from him. Buffy deliberately kept the pressure light and teasing. She took her time exploring before pulling back.

It still scared her how deeply this man had affected her. One touch of his hand or lips set her body ablaze with a heat she had never felt with anyone before. She wanted no less than all of him and knew he wanted the same from her. That was the part that frightened her. The giving of oneself over so completely, to place the well-being of your heart and soul to another terrifying. But she was tired of running and tired of not being happy. She hadn't even known that she felt that way until he forced her to look inside herself.

Looking into his dark eyes she could tell that he was ready. Ready to hand everything over to her. She just wasn't sure if she was ready to reciprocate yet, at least not emotionally. But her body screamed for him. Giving in to her body's desire, she pressed her lips to his once again.

Logan was awash in a sea of sensations. Buffy seemed to surround him all at once. He could hear her heartbeat quicken and the smell of her arousal. She kissed and nipped her way down his neck, all the while grinding her core against his growing erection. It seemed that she was everywhere, but for him it wasn't enough. He wanted to taste her, mark every inch of her body as his so that no one - human and demon alike - would ever touch her.

With a growl, he rolled them over and settled himself between her shapely legs. He relished the knowledge that he was the cause of her soft moans. The sudden contact of skin against skin caused him to hiss in pleasure. While Buffy had been busy untucking his shirt, her wiggling had caused her own shirt to rise, exposing the smooth, soft skin of her belly.

He ceased his exploration of her body long enough to allow her to remove his shirt and then return the favor. Logan paused to look at her in the soft moonlight and sent a brief prayer of thanks to whoever was looking out for him. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve such an amazing woman, but he wasn't going to debate the matter.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, before crushing his lips to hers. Their tongues fought for dominance while Buffy's hands seemed to be everywhere and holding him tight all at once.

When they broke for air, he could see the lust and desire in Buffy's eyes, but there was also something else. It was so faint that he could barely see it at first. But once he had, he could smell the undercurrent of it as well. She was afraid. With a great effort, he reeled in his libido.

Sensing the change, Buffy asked, "What's wrong?"

"We can't do this. Not yet," he said, rolling off of her to lie on his back.

Buffy frowned and sat up. "What do you mean we can't?"

"You're not ready."

"Hello! I know you can smell how ready I am," Buffy retorted, too confused and a little upset to be embarrassed by what she had just said.

Logan groaned in barely contained frustration. "I know and it's intoxicating, but that's not what I meant. Yer still scared."

"So what if I am?" Buffy pouted, knowing it was no use to argue. "We can work past it."

He looked into her hazel eyes. "I don't want to rush ya into somethin' yer just not ready for. Yer barely able to accept that I'm in your life, let alone give me a large part of yourself. I don't want ya hatin' or resentin' me later cause I rushed things. I ain't goin' anywhere before or after you're ready," he softly assured her.

Buffy stared at him long and hard while she processed everything he had just said, and realized that he was probably right. She just never had a man who was willing to wait for her, until everything was right for her. He was in no hurry to move things along because once he did have her, he was planning on it being forever. The realization of that knocked her defenses down just a little bit more.

"We can still make with the smoochies until then, right?" She asked with a coy smile.

"Of course, darlin'," he said, pulling her back down to him.


	23. Twenty Three

Surprised you guys huh? Told you the update pace would quicken. Next chapter will be up in two or three weeks.

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Review Responses:

Kyra2, yeah he would have. Logan's just not the type of guy you would think would enjoy that type of thing.

jumpin'-jo, it's actually harder for me to write the fic now because they are getting closer. I kind of miss my angst...

ShalBrenFan, thank you so much!

Chapter Twenty-Three

Buffy smiled as she snuggled down into Logan's arms. She looked around at all the people she could gladly call friends. It had seemed like forever since she enjoyed a movie night with friends. Just a group of people watching a variety of movies and just relaxing, enjoying each others' company. Completely forgetting that there was evil outside their door and just enjoying themselves.

Bobby and Rogue were cuddled up on the floor in front of the TV, while Kurt and Ororo occupied the other end of the sofa. Even Scott and Jean were cuddled together on the other sofa. Most of the students had gone home for several weeks and they were taking advantage of the rather quiet mansion.

Scott looked over at Buffy. "I can't believe you chose this movie."

"Why? I like it."

"It's not accurate," he argued.

"So? It's funny," she said with a grin.

"But..."  
"I like it," Rogue said. "I think Sammy's kind of cute."

"Isn't he?" Buffy giggled. "I had a huge crush on him when I was younger."

Logan grimaced. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. Watched every Corey Haim movie out there, but this one is still my favorite."

"It's a vampire movie!" Scott protested.

"And probably way better than the one you rented," Logan said.

"Did I miss anything?" Oz asked, sitting in one of the large armchairs.

"Then what are you? The flying nun?" Buffy quoted.

"Damn, good scene," Oz said.

"You too?" Scott exclaimed.

"It's a classic," the werewolf said with a shrug as if that explained it all.

Scott just resignedly shook his head and turned back to the movie.

An hour or so later, Professor Xavier joined them as Scott switched movies. "I thought everyone would enjoy some popcorn," he said, handing out several bowls.

"Thanks, professor," Bobby said, taking one for him and Rogue.

"You're quite welcome. What's the next film?" Xavier asked.

"Cyke's pick, so it's probably something artsy," Logan said in disgust.

"I don't know, Logan. He might surprise you," Jean said with a grin.

Seeing Logan's disbelieving look, Ororo laughed. "He will."

Logan's eyes widened as he recognized the opening credits. "I'm impressed Cyke. Didn't take you for the action movie type."  
"He likes to watch things blow up," Jean said, patting Scott affectionately on the knee.

Buffy unsuccessfully tried to hide her giggle as Scott blushed slightly. She felt Logan move to say something and she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You know," she said lightly before tossing a piece of popcorn in the air and catching it in her mouth. "Now watch the movie."

Logan rolled his eyes at her orders, but followed them anyways. He hated to admit it, but Scott had chosen a good movie. Before long he found his attention riveted to the screen.

Buffy, on the other hand, was finding it hard to concentrate. She suddenly felt very uneasy, but she couldn't figure out why. There wasn't anything that should set her nerves on end and yet she could feel her body tensing for a fight. It was if she was unconsciously trying to prepare herself for whatever was coming.

Try as she might, she couldn't relax and enjoy the movie. A quick glance at the others told her that she was the only one getting creepy feelings. Which worried her even more because it meant that it was probably slayer related.

Before she knew it, the movie was over and she had missed it. She just wished the feeling would go away.

"What's wrong?" Logan whispered in her ear.

Despite her distracted state, his warm breath on her ear caused a shiver to go down her spine. "I'm not sure," she confessed.

He gently kissed her neck. "Do you need to go patrolling?"

She felt some of the tension leave her as he kneaded her shoulders. "Maybe later," she admitted.

"Can we start the next movie?" Scott asked in exasperation. His apparent frustration dampened somewhat by the smile that kept twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"Sure," she said.

Scott turned to put the DVD into the player when the entire mansion began to shake. Rogue screamed as Scott nearly fell on her. Seconds later it was over.

"Is everyone all right?" Kurt asked.

A chorus of fines rang out except for one.

"No, no, no, damn it, no," Buffy muttered. She sent Oz a knowing look and he nodded. The two of them go up and started moving.

"What's wrong?" Logan asked, following them.

"Apocalypse," they answered.

****

XXXXXXXXXXX

Rogue ran into the room where Buffy, Oz, and the X-Men were getting ready. "Buffy, phone call."

"Take a message," she said, handing Scott a sword.

"It's Wesley. He says it's urgent."

Knowing that Wesley would have only said that if it was, Buffy followed Rogue. The mutant led her into an office and pushed a few buttons before handing her the receiver.

"What's up, Wes? I'm in the middle of something here."

"It's more than you may realize," Wesley said over the line, his voice laden with tension. "You see..."

Buffy could hear someone grappling for the phone and complaining. A second later another familiar voice came through the phone.

"The hellmouth is opening."  
"Cordy?" Buffy asked in surprise.

"Yeah, yeah. I just woke up. Can we move past that and to the huge vision I had that woke me up in the first place?"

"Umm, sure. I had already guessed the apocalypse though. Earthquakes aren't really common in New York," Buffy replied, happy to hear that her friend was better.

"Wes told me about the attempted apocalypse from a month ago."

"The one with the amulets? We stopped that one," Buffy said, a little confused.

"No, you didn't. There were two more amulets," Cordelia said. "They're just now opening the hellmouth."  
"How do we close it?" Buffy asked. "Kill that snakey thing that always tries to come out first?"

"Wesley says there's a spell in the Hebron's Almanac. Rogue and Bobby should be familiar with it."

"Damn," Buffy muttered, she seemed to remember the spell herself. It seemed that the two teens had their own role in this after all. "Anything else I should know?"

"There's going to be other demons and vampires there to make sure that nothing interferes and it happens tonight."  
Buffy sighed. These things could never be easy. "Thanks, Cordelia."

"That's what I'm here for. Vision girl making with the warnings."

"I'm glad you're ok. I know Angel was worried."

"Yeah, Brood-boy and I need to have a long talk. Of course, that will have to wait until after we take care of our own little apocalypse."

"Give him hell. I'll call you guys in a few days," Buffy said with a grin.

"Will do," Cordelia said before hanging up.

Buffy turned to Rogue after she hung up the phone. "Get Bobby and the Hebron's Almanac, then meet us in the planning room."

****

XXXXXXXXXX 

"Alright guys, here's the deal," Buffy said when Rogue and Bobby joined them. "We're in the middle of a major apocalypse. I mean mondo, huge."  
"How can you be sure?" Jean asked.

"First clue - I've been uneasy for the past few hours for no real reason. Second clue - the earthquake. The first time I faced an apocalypse after an earthquake, I died. Third, and the biggest, Cordelia woke up in L.A. to warn me. That's who called."  
"Who is Cordelia?" Scott asked.

"She's a half-demon seer. She receives visions from the PTB. Normally they're for Angel, but this was a special case." Buffy frowned slightly. "I think there was probably more to the vision since she mentioned an apocalypse in L.A., too. So it's gonna be a big night for everyone."

Buffy took in everyone's grim but resolute faces. It was hard to believe that just minutes before they had been enjoying the evening, blithely unaware of the lurking danger. She sighed to herself at her uncanny ability to disrupt other people's lives. "Scott, can you bring up the map of the hellmouth?"

Once the 3-D image was up, she began, "Out problem started when we attempted to stop the apocalypse last month."

"But we did stop it, didn't we?" Ororo asked.

"We missed two amulets. They were somehow activated and have been slowly opening the hellmouth ever since."

Scott shook his head. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't hurt you, we would have really stopped the apocalypse."

"No, it's mine," Logan argued. "I was so concerned with Buffy that I forgot about the amulets."

"How about it's no one's fault?" Buffy interrupted. "These things happen. So if you two are done, can we plan a battle?"

The two men sheepishly nodded their heads. Their expressions however, clearly showed that they still blamed themselves.

"Does this fact change anything?" Xavier asked, already sensing the answer. While he was still unable to read Buffy's mind, her stronger emotions bled through.

"Yes. It means we have to concentrate our efforts on closing the hellmouth instead of preventing it," she said.

"And how do ve do that?" Kurt asked in his softly accented voice.

"We don't," she replied. Her hazel eyes settled on the two teens. "Bobby and Rogue do."

"Us?" Bobby nearly squeaked out.

"It's gonna take a spell to close the hellmouth. This is what you two have been training for. If it's too much..."  
"No!" Rogue quickly cried. "It's just..."

"A little surprising," Bobby said.

Buffy gave them a wry smile. "It is, a little. But I need you."  
The teens exchanged a quick look and grinned. "What's the plan?" Rogue asked.

Pointing at one end of the clearing, Buffy said, "I want the two of you to be stationed there. Stay out of the fighting as much as possible, you'll need to conserve your energy for the spell."

"Why not perform the spell now?" Jean asked.

"There's a proximity thing for starters, and the hellmouth has to be open for it to work."

"But isn't it open now?" Ororo asked.

Rogue shook her head. "It's kind of like limbo. It's not closed or open, just in the process. At least, that's the way the amulets were supposed to work."

"Jean and 'Ro, I want you to stay and help protect Rogue and Bobby." Buffy held up a hand at the teens' protest. "I want your full concentration on the spell. This way your attention won't be divided."

Buffy's eyes studied the map for a moment before continuing. "Logan and Scott, you guys enter from here while Oz and I will come from there." She pointed at opposite ends of the clearing. "Hopefully they'll get crushed together and panic. Kurt, I want you to hover around and help where it's needed. Everyone with me so far?"  
"Works for me," Scott said, nodding in approval of her plan.

"What's gonna happen when the hellmouth actually opens?" Logan asked.

"There's this snakey, many headed demon that tries to come out first. We should be able to hold it off until they complete the spell." She gave them a small smile. "Let's go save the world... again."


	24. Twenty Four

Sorry that it took longer than expected to get this chapter up, real life is a bitch. Next one will be up in two weeks.

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Review Responses:

ShalBrenfan, Lightdemondarkangel, Damia - Queen of the Gypsi's, GoldenRat, Delauro, thank you for all of your reviews!

Torture of Persephone, sorry about the weirdo hold. I had plans for those amulets, I just needed some room to play with to get relationships where they needed to be. :)

Kyra2, Me? Imperil my characters? No. grin Hee hee, of course there's danger. Mwahahaha. :)

Irina, I've never really thought of looking at Buffy and Rogue's relationship like that before. Definitely something to consider thanks! And thank you for letting me know how much you're enjoying the fic. I love receiving reviews like yours, it lets me know that you're really reading and are invested in the fic. Yay!

My reviewers are just awesome! Thank you guys!

A/N: The spell in this fic comes from the season three BtVS episode, The Zeppo. Words were taken from the transcript on Twenty-Four

Rogue stepped back to look over the candles she and Bobby had arranged in their hiding place. Her stomach flip-flopped as she reached into her pocket for the lighter.

"Not yet," Bobby whispered. "Let's wait until the fighting starts so we attract less attention."

She nodded and then realized he couldn't really see her in the darkness. "Ok. It's just that I'm so nervous and excited all at the same time."

Bobby wrapped his arms around her waist. "Me too. I can't believe she actually said she needed us."

"I know," she said, leaning into his embrace. "I thought she was just being nice by letting us research and stuff - that it would keep us out of trouble. But she kept her promise to us."

"Hopefully she'll keep opening up," he said, placing a quick kiss on top of her head. "I just hope _we_ can do this."

"We can and we will," Rogue said firmly, her southern accent getting thicker with her emotions. "Because Buffy needs us to. Heck, the world needs us to."

****

XXXXXXX

"Oz! What are you doing?" Buffy hissed, turning away from her friend. She was thankful that the darkness covered the blush she knew was creeping up on her cheeks.

He looked over at her with a bland expression. "I'm shifting for the fight," he reminded her.

"I know that, but why are you removing your clothes?"

"So I don't rip them when I shift," he stated in a tone that clearly said she should have remembered that detail.

"But do you have to do that _here_ where I can see your nakedness?" She asked, still not turning around.

He finally understood what was wrong and he chuckled softly. "Sorry. I got used to the openness of the monks. Nudity wasn't a big deal."  
"It's ok, it's just... You surprised me is all," she said, a little embarrassed.

"I'll go shift behind that bush," Oz said, still chuckling.

"Fine.. you... go do that," she said, still not looking. A few minutes later she could hear bones grinding and cracking, only then did she turn around. She was greeted by Oz's werewolf form loping silently up to her.

He sniffed the air and growled deep in his chest.

"I know they're out there," Buffy said, hesitantly resting a hand on his hairy head. Intellectually she knew he was in control of the wolf, but her instincts were screaming the exact opposite. She forced herself to relax and calm down. "But we have to wait just a little bit longer."

****

XXXXXXX 

"I hate waiting," Scott muttered from his hiding place next to Logan.

"Really?" Logan asked in surprise, looking over at the younger man. "I thought you were the patient one."

"I am. It's just that my nerves get wound tight when I'm waiting for a fight," Scott confessed. "Makes me twitchy."

Logan could only stare at him and say, "Huh, who would have thought?"

The two men returned to their silent watch, until Logan spoke up a few minutes later. "Something about this doesn't feel right."  
"Her plan is solid."

"I know, but when we got here something felt off."  
Scott frowned and thought it over for a moment. "Maybe your instincts are reacting to the hellmouth."  
"Whaddaya mean, Cyke?"  
"You patrol with Buffy almost every night, you've got your own heightened senses, plus you seem to be more attuned to your surroundings than the rest of us. You could be picking up on the unnatural, mystical properties of the opening hellmouth and that could be the source of your unease."  
Again, Logan found himself staring at Scott in shock. Scott had, in an abstract way, given him credit for his abilities and even validated his sense of unease. As he thought back, he realized that the younger man had been attempting to be cordial to him for quite a while. For the first time, Logan began to understand that a friendship between him and Scott was actually possible. The least he could do was return the favor. With a half grin, he said, "Yer probably right."

****

XXXXXXX 

Jean looked over at her friend and saw the harsh lines of worry mar her beautiful face. "What's wrong?"  
"Just that in all of these years of saving individuals or groups, we thought we were doing something momentous," Storm said in her softly accented voice. "But all that time, Buffy was secretly saving the world several times and in secret. She's never received the praise or acknowledgement worthy of her."

"Don't sell yourself short," Jean said. "The people we've helped or saved believe what we've done was momentous. And it was, for them. But I see what you mean about Buffy."  
"What should we do about it?"  
"I'm not sure, but we'll think of something."  
**XXXXXXX **

Kurt looked over the clearing from his position in the treetops. He was thankful that Buffy had given him the task of helping everyone during this fight. Even though he accepted the fact that the creatures below were not of God's creation, he did not relish the killing of them. Violence was not part of his nature, but neither was he willing to let any of his newfound friends get hurt.

His yellow eyes could make out Buffy and what he assumed to be Oz's were form emerge from the trees. He sighed to himself as the fighting and the killing began below.

****

XXXXXXX 

Buffy felt the magicks converging in the ground beneath her as she swung her scythe. She knew that the hellmouth would be opening in a few minutes and she hoped to eliminate as many of the excess demons as possible before then. Her hands expertly guided the scythe into demon after demon.

She spared a glance over at Oz. She had never seen him fight in his were form and she was more than a little curious. His hairy, muscular form moved easily through the demons. He somehow managed to stay out of their reach, but still inflicted deadly wounds on them. Buffy could clearly see Oz's personality shine through as he calmly weighed every movement and reaction. Satisfied that he would be able to take care of himself, she swung her scythe behind her, neatly decapitating the demon trying to sneak up on her.

****

XXXXXXX 

Logan finally understood why Buffy had insisted on he and Scott keep up their training together. While they didn't fight together as smoothly as he and Buffy, there was a familiarity that almost allowed each other to anticipate the other's movements. His claws ripped open one demon as another exploded only inches away from him.

"Cuttin' it a little close there, ain't ya, Cyke?" Logan growled as he ducked under the swing of another demon.

"Nah! There was a good six inches between you," Scott cheerfully called out.

"Nice to know yer concerned for my well-bein'," Logan said, throwing the demon into the path of Scott's beam.

"Not really," Scott replied after incinerating it. "Buffy would kill me if I let anything happen to you."

At the mention of the tiny blonde, Logan looked across the clearing to check on her. He could see a strange, hairy, man-sized, wolf-thing fighting with her. It wasn't exactly how he pictured a werewolf to look like. Then again, no one would ever suspect that the lone figure to stand against the forces of evil to be a tiny, Californian blonde either.

"Wolvie! Pay attention," Scott yelled as he blasted a demon racing towards the older man.

Pulling his attention back to the fight, he snarled, "Don't call me Wolvie."

****

XXXXXXX 

The ground shook beneath their feet and several demons were thrown back as the ground exploded upward. A multi-headed demon rose up and it's tentacles reached out and grabbed whatever was closest. Many demons that had been previously guarding the hellmouth found themselves eaten by the very thing they had been protecting.

"Rogue! Bobby! That's your cue!" Buffy shouted as she cut off the end of the tentacle that was reaching for her.

She hated to admit it, but she was growing a little concerned. They hadn't cleared away as many of the demons as she had hoped. There was the distinct possibility that the giant demon could pull itself out of the hellmouth and gain purchase in their dimension. She had no idea what was waiting to come through next, but she had a feeling that it would be worse.

****

XXXXXXX 

"Cyke! Behind ya!" Logan yelled.

Scott turned and shot a beam at the tentacle, but it bounced harmlessly off. Realizing the problem just a fraction too late, he fumbled for the sword Buffy had insisted he carry as the tentacle closed the distance. Suddenly, he felt arms around him, then found himself on the other side of the clearing.

"Thanks, Kurt," he said gratefully.

"You are most welcome, mein friend," Kurt said softly with a sigh. The blue skinned mutant used his tail to knock away a demon that was next to them.

****

XXXXXXX 

Bobby whirled around as he heard something crashing through the forest. He and Rogue had been busy lighting, what seemed to him to be, the hundred candles needed for the spell.

A large grey demon lumbered out of the tree and straight for Rogue, who was standing after lighting the last candle. "Rogue! Duck!"

Hearing the urgency in his voice, she quickly complied. Bobby raised his right hand and sent an icy stream towards the demon. When it was firmly encased in ice, he ran over and hugged Rogue. "Are you ok?" He asked.

"Fine, just startled," she said, smiling up at him. "Let's finish this spell so we can go home."  
**XXXXXXX **

Logan growled, as the tentacles that grabbed at him appeared to be never-ending. For every one that he chopped off, two more seemed to take its place. He was so busy concentrating on them, that he never sensed the pack of demons sneaking up from the rear until it was too late.

They swarmed on him, cutting and biting. Logan fought back at first and took quite a few down with his claws. But even his advanced healing was having difficulties metabolizing the poison their bites injected into his blood. Eventually he succumbed and collapsed beneath them.

Jean faltered as she felt Logan's pain and anger. Her eyes searched the battlefield and watched as he fell. She heard his last mental cry for Buffy and that he felt as if he had failed her.

The doctor in her wanted to run to him and tend to his injuries as she saw the demons move away from his lifeless body in search of another victim. But she knew that the fate of the world depended on Rogue and Bobby completing the spell and it was her job to protect them. Logan would have to wait.

****

XXXXXXX 

Rogue and Bobby kept their eyes on their surroundings as they began reciting the spell. In unison they said, "Terra, vente, ignis et pluvia. Cuncta quattuor numina. Vos obsecro. Defendete nos a recente malo resoluto."

They jumped as several bolts of lightening struck behind them. The teens turned around to see three smoking demon bodies.

"Keep going!" Storm cried at them from the sky.

They returned their attention back to the spell. "Omnia vasa veritatis!" They said together.

"Now Buffy!" Rogue yelled across the clearing.

Buffy, hearing the command, slammed the scythe into the largest head, causing it to scream in pain. The thing sank back into the ground and pulled the dirt back on top of itself, leaving no indication that it had ever been there at all.

The demons left standing found that their chances of survival would be better if they left, ran away. The X-Men, Buffy, and Oz finally relaxed and took a moment to breathe as they gathered together in the clearing.

"Where's Logan?" Buffy asked when he didn't join them.

"I forgot!" Jean cried, running over to where she had seen him fall.

"Forgot? Forgot what?" Buffy asked, following.

"I saw him fall, but I couldn't help because I was protecting Rogue and Bobby," Jean explained, kneeling next to Logan's battered and bloodied prone form.

Seeing the man who had battered down her defenses with love dead on the ground, Buffy saw red. She wanted to launch herself at Jean for not helping him earlier, but she also knew that Jean had made the hard decision of saving the world over helping a friend. It was the same decision she would have made.

Instead, she collapsed with tears streaming down her face. She should have known that this would happen. She had allowed herself to get attached and now Logan had to pay the price.

"It's all my fault," she sobbed, burying her face in her blood covered hands.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Jean couldn't stop the soft smile that tugged at her lips. "His last thought before he lost consciousness was that he failed you by leaving you."  
Buffy shook her head. "He didn't fail me. I'm the one who failed him. If I had held him off, he wouldn't have been here fighting. And he wouldn't be dead."  
"He's not dead, Buffy," Jean said gently.

The blonde's head snapped up and she blinked in surprise. "He's not?" At Jean's shake of her head, Buffy extended her senses. Sure enough, she could hear his shallow breathing and the slow beating of his heart.

Jean looked at Kurt. "Get him back to the mansion, we'll meet you there." As Kurt disappeared with Logan, she got up and walked over to Buffy. "He's tougher than you think, he'll make it." She reached out a hand and helped Buffy to her feet.

Buffy could only follow silently. Her tears leaving tracks on her dirty face.


	25. Twenty Five

Hey guys! The last chapter will be up in two weeks. :)

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Delauro, sparky24, ShalBrenFan, Damia - Queen of the Gypsi's, Lanhar, Kyra2, thank you guys so much for your reviews. They really mean a lot!

harmoni, it's so good to hear from you! Thanks for the review, as always. Does this mean you're back online?

Chapter Twenty-Five

Buffy walked into the living room and stared at the pictures on the mantle. The faces of her friends and family smiled back at her. She felt the familiar ache that accompanied any thoughts or reminders about them, but now it was bearable. Her new friends had eased her pain. While they could never replace them, they did make living easier.

So much had changed over the past two months. _She_ had changed. It was all because of one man - Logan. The same man who was lying on death's door because she had drawn him into her world. It was her fault.

Her forehead creased as she frowned. If she was concerned about him, why was she at her house in Sunnydale?

"Hello, cutie."

She whirled around and froze. She knew for sure now that something strange was going on because of the vision before her. It had been over a year and her body refused to great him out of shock.

"Bloody hell, slayer. Is this the kind of thanks I get?" He asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Spike," she breathed. As if admitting he was truly there was all it took, her body released its paralysis and she ran to him. She sobbed out loud as she felt herself being held once more in his comforting embrace.

He held her tightly as she cried. When her tears died to hiccups he pulled back just enough to look down at her upturned face. "God you are beautiful. I'd almost forgotten."  
She hastily wiped away the tears as she stepped back. "How can you say that? I must look awful."

"Never. Even covered in blood 'n gore you're still beautiful."  
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Only because you're a vampire and blood is a turn on for you." She dropped her gaze suddenly. "At least, you were."

"Luv, I would have done it a hundred times over it meant that you'd live."  
"But you left me!" She yelled, turning away from him. "You left me to face this world alone! To deal with my loss alone!"

Spike grabbed her arm and roughly turned her around. He never saw the punch coming until he was on the ground reeling from it. "Oy slayer. Wha' the hell was that for?"

"Because."  
"There's a good reason," he growled. He looked up at her from the ground. "You gonna help a mate up or you gonna join me?"  
"Neither."  
"Buffy."  
"Spike."

They glared at each other for several minutes before Spike finally broke. Letting out a sigh, he said, "It was the only option, luv. Between the two of us, you were the only one strong enough to beat Caleb."

"You could have done it."

"No, I couldn't," he argued. "You're stronger than me, and in more ways than one."

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? We've always been evenly matched."

"Not in recent years. When was the last time we had a knockdown, drag out, to the death fight?" He watched as she searched her memories.

"The gem of Amarra."

"Right, an' you would've dusted me then it I hadn't had it. We hadn't really tested ourselves in years. But you had gotten stronger and faster."  
"But you left me here alone," she said, tears streaming down her face once more.

Spike stood and held her again. "Your heart was, is strong enough to endure. Plus, I didn't leave you alone." He paused before grounding out, "Angel's still there."

"Not really," she said with a shake of her head. "Too much has happened. I can't really trust him like that anymore."

He fought back the urge to grin at those words. It was gratifying to know that Buffy trusted him more than his sire, but this was about her at the moment and not his glee. "What about the others? Wesley. Fred. Gunn."

She looked up at him. "How do you know about them? You never met them."

"I've been keeping an eye on ya."  
"And you only come now to visit?" She asked, growing angry again. "You saw the pain I was going through. Didn't you ever think to come down and ease it?"

"Bloody hell, slayer!" He said, releasing her as he threw his hands up in the air. "Don't you think I wanted to? The damn Powers thought it would be best for you to come to terms with it on your own."

"So you agreed with that?"

"No! But I couldn't get down here and visit without their help. I was stuck!"

"Like that ever stopped you before?"

He growled. "That's not fair. They have ways of stopping people from visiting. But I'm here now!"

"Fine!" She cried.

"Fine!"

"So _why_ are you here?" She yelled.

"To talk about Logan!"  
Buffy froze. "What about him?" She whispered.

Spike took a moment to calm himself and sat down on the sofa. He patted the spot next to him and waited for her to sit down before continuing. "Luv, I know you've found someone else."

"I'm sorry, Spike. I didn't want to..."

"I know you didn't, but you can't choose when and who you fall for," he said softly. "I never wanted you to remain alone for the rest of your life."

"But it still sometimes feels like I just lost you and that it's too soon to fall in lo... to be with someone else," she said guiltily, not looking up at him.

"Do you love him?"

"I don't know."

He sighed and gently tilted her head up to look him in the face. "Do you love him?"

Tears formed in her eyes as she nodded.

"Tell him before it's too late."  
"Like it was for you," she said softly.

"I knew you loved me. I could tell by the way you treated me, believed in me, and the way you trusted me. I didn't need to hear you say it to know that was how you felt." He kissed her forehead. "From what I've seen, Logan knows you love him, too."

"Then why?" She pouted slightly. She knew she was being childish, but she couldn't help it. "If he knows already, then why tell him?"

"It's not for him, luv, but for you. What was your biggest regret after I died?" A slow smirk formed on his lips as she buried her head in his shoulder and mumbled something. "What was that?"  
"I said, not telling you how I felt," she repeated, not moving.

"And you'll feel the same way if something happens to him. Tell him. Trust me."  
"What if he doesn't..." she bit the question back.

"Doesn't love you in return?" He asked incredulously. "He's a first rate git if he doesn't. Nobody can resist you, luv."

A shy smile appeared on Buffy's lips as she looked up at him.

"Don't live the rest of your life alone. What did you tell Dawn on the tower?"  
Her smile turned to a sad one. "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it."

"Live in it, for me?" He asked.

"I'll do my best."  
Spike gave her a final squeeze before standing. "As much as I would love to stay, my time is up."  
"You have to leave already?"  
"'Fraid so, luv." He turned to walk out the door.

"Spike!" Buffy called out. When he turned around she smiled at him with tears in her eyes. "I love you."  
His face broke out in the first true grin she had ever seen him give. "I love you, too. Now wake up."

****

XXXXXXX

Buffy blinked several times as she looked around at her surroundings. She recognized the room that they had moved Logan to once he had passed any danger. She knew he cared for hospitals even less than she did so she had insisted on the change. He had done the same for her once and she thought that it was the least she could do after getting him into this mess.

She swept her gaze over him and was relieved to see that most of his injuries had healed. When Jean had first examined him, she had been appalled at what the demons had done. Not only had his body been covered in cuts and gashes, but they had taken huge chunks of skin as well. His body was so busy fighting off the poison that it couldn't heal the rest of him.

Therefore, Jean had carefully cleaned and stitched all of his wounds to try and help his natural healing ability. She had also been forced to give him a transfusion since he had lost so much blood. Now, five days later, he was looking like his old self again. So much so, that Jean had removed his IV in anticipation of him regaining consciousness soon.

Buffy knew that he got lucky this time - that he had made it through. Next time, he might not get so lucky. She knew that not even this near-death experience would deter him from her, though. He was hers until she told him in no uncertain terms to leave or until she left. Neither was an option that she was particularly thrilled with.

Whether she liked it or not, or even wanted it, she found a place that could be home, people she had formed bonds with. Her closed off heart had betrayed her by developing feelings for and becoming attached to this place and these people. This was where her heart wanted to be.

And truth be told, it was where all of her wanted to be - body and soul. And the man lying in the bed before her was _who_ she wanted.

She thought back to the strange dream-visiony thing with Spike. She knew he was right about what she needed to do about Logan. Spike had always been able to see her heart - whether the feelings were directed at him or others. His advice or insights were unusually unasked for and unwanted, and she'd spend a lot of time fighting or denying them. In the end, however, she'd follow and discover he was right from the beginning.

Love was blood screaming inside of her, working its will. It was time that she admitted to being love's bitch.

A groan from the bed pulled her out of her thoughts and she moved her chair closer. She reached out and took on of Logan's hands.

Logan slowly opened his brown eyes and looked over to see Buffy's bright hazel eyes staring happily at him. To him it seemed that the last shred of tension that she carried was gone. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hey yourself. How do you feel?"  
"Like I was swallowed by the hellmouth," he replied with a grimace. "Have I been out long?"  
"Almost a week."  
He looked at her in surprise. "That long?"  
"The poison was a nasty one and you had a lot of injuries. But you're all better now."  
"Had to be. Had to get back to ya," he said with a small smile before frowning.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked in concern.

"It's just. I had the strangest dream."  
"About what?"  
"There was this guy - blond hair, a black duster, and I think he was British."  
Buffy groaned as she dropped her head on top of their intertwined hands. "If he wasn't already dead, I'd kill him."  
"Who?"  
"Spike. That guy was Spike."

"_That_ was Spike?" Logan asked carefully. At her nod, he grinned. "Explains a lot. I kinda liked him."  
"What did he say?" She asked, still not moving.

"Just that no matter how much he approved of me, he'd find a way to come back and kill me if I hurt you. Something about railroad spikes."  
She laughed as she raised her head to look at him. "Sounds like him. Anything else?"

"Few things, but they were personal." He reached out with his free hand to brush away a stray lock of blonde hair from her face. "I'm sorry if I worried ya."  
"It's ok. It was my fault for dragging you into my world," she said softly.

"Darlin', I'm the one who shoved myself there. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm right where I want to be."  
Buffy looked into his dark eyes and saw the truth of his words shining back at her. She smiled and said, "Logan, I love you."


	26. Epilogue

Well guys, this is it. The last chapter of this fic. It's sequel, Defeating the Past, won't be up for a few months. I have to work the plot out and such before I start posting.

I want to thank Meri and Krisztina for all of their wonderful feedback and support they've given me over the course of this fic. You guys are wonderful!

And thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic over the past two years. I appreciate each and every one of you. You guys kick ass!

****

Review Responses:

chanel 5, I'm a Spuffy shipper at heart as well. Spike is one of my fav characters and I could never treat him like he never existed. I'm like you, I don't really care for it when authors dismiss his role on the show and in Buffy's life. There will be a sequel and I'll either touch upon the future as the epilogue or write a one shot afterwards. I've already got some plans for them. :)

ShalBrenFan, I'm afraid this will be the last update for this fic. But take heart, there will be a sequel in the future.

Paws.on.Scroll, Damia, Delauro, thank you so much for your reviews!

For update information on the sequel to this fic or any of my others, feel free to join my yahoo group. Information is on my profile page.

Epilogue

Logan smiled as he watched Rogue and Bobby tag team the last vampire of the night. Buffy's faith and trust in them during the apocalypse a few weeks prior had shown not only a growth of confidence in their own abilities but in themselves as well. They seemed to have found their place in the world where they could make a difference and as a result more comfortable with themselves.

A quick glance at the tiny blonde beside him reminded him that the two teens weren't the only one positively affected by the battle. Buffy had changed as well. She had become more open and receptive to the people around her and her bright laughter now flowed freely from her smiling lips.

He still found it rather hard to believe that this beautiful woman was in love with him. At times he worried that it was all a dream, but when he woke with her in his arms, in the room that they now shared, he knew it was real.

Rogue's complaining voice broke through his thoughts. "Bobby, ya did it again!"

"I'm sorry, but I thought he was going to hurt you."  
"But you covered his chest in ice! Again! I can't shove the stake through that!"

"I'm sorry," Bobby said again with a sigh. "I was more worried about you."  
"But..."  
"I'll take care of it," Buffy said with a laugh as she swung the scythe and decapitated it. Inside the headless ice statue, the vampire turned to dust. "Now let's go home."  
"One more cemetery, please," Rogue anxiously begged.

"Yeah, one more," Bobby echoed.

Buffy stopped and stared at the two. "What is with you two? It's been 'just one more cemetery' all night. What's up?"

Rogue tilted her head slightly. "I don't know what you mean."  
"We just like patrolling," Bobby said with a shrug. "It's better than sitting around the mansion doing homework."

"Possibly," Buffy said slowly. She looked up at Logan. "What do you think?"  
"Darlin', I don't even want to _try _and figure out how their brains work. I say we take their word for it," he replied with a shrug of his own.

Buffy's eyes narrowed as her suspicions grew. "Now I know you guys are up to something."  
"I didn't realize it would be such a problem!" Rogue said in sudden disgust. "Let's just forget about it and go home." She turned and grabbed Bobby's arm with one glove-encased hand. Then she drug him in direction of their parked car.

"That was odd," Buffy said with a frown.

"Who knows? Let's not argue and just go home," Logan said in her ear.   
She smiled up at him as she slipped her hand into his. "That sounds nice."

****

XXXXXXX 

As they pulled up to the mansion, Buffy tensed as her senses tingled, but relaxed as she recognized Oz. However, something else hovered at the edge of her awareness, but just out of reach. She quickly dismissed it, thinking she was just becoming paranoid because of Rogue and Bobby's strange behavior that evening.

The four of them entered the building just as Rogue and Bobby convinced Buffy to stay up and watch movies. They drug her towards the darkened common room while Logan lagged behind. Before Buffy got a chance to tell him to hurry up, the lights were flipped on and a room full of people yelled, "Surprise!"

"Wha?" Buffy said in shock as she looked around. The room was filled with the X-Men, students, and her friends from L.A.

"Did we surprise ya?" Rogue asked, her eyes bright with excitement. "Wes did a spell to temporarily cloak Angel and Lorne."  
"What's going on?" Buffy finally managed to ask.

"We wanted to thank you for all of your work in keeping the world safe over the years," Ororo said with a smile. "The whole world actually owes you, but we hope the few of us will do."

Buffy's eyes misted as she looked over at all the faces of the people she loved. Kurt smiled shyly at her as her eyes rested on him for a brief moment. There were no other people in the world who could thank her and have it mean more. She tried to respond but the lump in her throat prevented any sound from coming out so she just nodded.

"In honor of everything you've done for us, we're declaring August third as official 'Queen Buffy of the Mansion' day," Jean said. She came forward and placed a sequined crown on Buffy's head. "I'm afraid it's a bit cheesy, but Rogue insisted you'd like it."

"It's perfect," Buffy said softly, reaching up to adjust the rather large crown.

"From now on, every year on this day, you will rule over us, and we'll do your bidding like good little peasants," Scott said, bowing and placing a kiss on the back of her hand.

"Are you serious?" Buffy asked with wide eyes.

"Very serious," Charles said with a twinkle in his eye.

"So what's the first order, Buff?" Oz asked.

"Then I say..." She looked around and smiled. "I order that we party!"

"Well it's about time!" A mock angry female voice said from Buffy's right.

"Cordelia!" Buffy said, and rushed over to hug her friend. "It's good to see you on your feet again, and in such cute shoes!"  
"Aren't they though?" Cordelia asked, modeling them. "I made Angel buy them for me since he's been the brood monster."  
"I thought you were fixing that."  
Cordelia flashed her a wicked grin. "I'm working on it. And don't get too attached to that crown, missy."

"I could never dethrone Queen C," Buffy said. Then she said softly, "I just can't believe they did this for me."  
"It's because you deserve it," Logan said just as softly from behind her.

"You knew!" She accused, turning to scold him.

"Of course. Had to make sure they were going to treat my girl right," he said, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist.

"You're too good to me," she said, returning the embrace.

"Never. I love you."  
Buffy looked up at the man she could face anything with, even the future, and smiled. "I love you, too."

**__**

Fin


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